Time Lost
by Terciel1249
Summary: After the fall of Tirek, Discord reflects on his past and the nature of forgiveness. A history of pain and death, Discord wishes to fix one of his greatest sins. The genocide of humanity. Discord's only hope for retribution lies in the stone body of one of his victims. A soldier he had broken will live again in Equestria. Will the human be able to adapt to this new world?
1. Chapter 1

Time Lost

Ch. 1: A Story

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to MLP. All other characters are mine.

In the beginning of all creation, there was nothing. There was only black emptiness spreading out to infinity. One spark was all that was needed. An explosion of light and energy filled the emptiness with precious matter. Pure, unaffected atoms pushed out towards the infinite horizon. From matter, gravity soon took hold and the universe began to form. Particles of matter drew together creating the planets and stars. All was good and bright in the galaxies littering the empty realm of space.

As gravity created order among the stars, disorder grew. Energy spread across the system, becoming unusable by the stars they originated from. Consciousness grew, becoming aware of the surrounding space. Untouchable and intangible, this consciousness felt the worlds around it.

All he ever knew was the pain of the universe, the pain of being discarded by those precious stars that warmed the vacuum. The spirit of entropy cried out in anguish, the laws of gravity and energy spreading him out to the far reaches of the cosmos. Twisted, crushed and warped by the fabrics of time and space for an uncountable number of years. In time, entropy despised the laws that governed the universe for bringing him this pain. Entropy despised the light shining into the black void, spreading energy out into the blackness and adding more to his burden. Entropy despised that was wrought by the light, life. Why should these insignificant beings be free while he writhes in pain? Why should they be allowed to languish in comfort as he suffers in agony? He had to be freed from his pain.

Possessing a will he did not know, the spirit of entropy forced himself into being. He strove to be more than intangible, more than the mere byproduct of creation. He wished to live, to exist. The universe shook, a wave of unimaginable power rippling across the cosmos. Consciousness becoming flesh, turning into a being of disjointed parts; a long narrow head of grey fur, a long torso of brown fur that turned into a snake-like tail with a white tuft at the end, his left arm a golden and lion's paw, his right an eagle's claw, right leg of a green lizard, the left leg of a mountain goat. From his back, two wings extended from the body in the vacuum, a dark bat's wing and the feathered wing of bright blue. From his temple a blue horn from a goat stuck out from the left side and a large deer's antler stuck out from the other side. To complete his physical appearance, two yellow glowing eyes and mismatched red irises looked out under white bushy eyebrows the same as the goatee at the end of his muzzle. A smile crept over his face, a single long fang jutting from the right side of his mouth. No longer trapped in his ethereal plane, he was free.

From hatred, the God of Chaos was born. Free from his pain, HE was free to wreak havoc on a universe that had so wronged him.

The universe as a whole trembled at the birth of Discord.

Worlds fell, civilizations were lost and life died, but Discord remained. Beyond the bounds of time, the draconequus would forever remain until the end of the universe.

After so many years, Discord found himself in the throne room of Canterlot. Night had already taken to Equestria, the moon's light filtering through the glass panels. Discord sat in front of the gold throne decorated with a signature sun, looking at the polished tiles and pillars cast in deep blue light. Discord's eyes were unfocused, staring at the long stretched shadows of the pillars.

In his silence, Discord's mind was a thousand miles away. His thoughts on friendship, _What a peculiar idea. To think Twilight would come to my aid, after what I did to her and her friends._ Thoughts of his actions swirled around his head, bringing forth memories from the far distant past. _Why would she forgive me so easily? Is it because we're friends? Could I be forgiven for my sin?_ Icy fingers clenched at his heart, the worlds he had harmed and the lives he had ended reminding him of the deeds he had committed.

This feeling never went away. In time it would lessen, but the feeling would always be there. The past would always be there. Maybe I want to be forgiven for my sins?

"Discord?"

Discord focused on the warm voice of Princess Celestia. The pure white alicorn's multi-colored hair flowed behind her as she moved into the throne room, her brow furrowed. The gloomy surroundings reflected off of her gold crown. The Princess looked upon Discord in concern.

Discord nodded, "Princess."

Celestia stopped directly in front of Discord, standing tall and regal, "Discord, why are you moping about?"

Discord responded with a curt, "I'm not moping."

"Yes _you _are," Celestia commented, her tone was calm but the emphasis showed she was concerned. "After Tirek's attack, you have barely done anything. You haven't caused any mischief, destroyed any of the royal cakes, painted Canterlot in poke dots and stripes, and you didn't even laugh when I switched Luna's shampoo with bleaching agent. Her mane was white for an entire week."

Discord folded his paws together, shrugging his shoulders in response.

Celestia continued, "That's what I mean! You aren't acting like your usual chaotic self." Lowering her tone, Celestia moved closer, "I won't force you to tell me, but please tell me what is bothering you. Let me try to help you."

Discord stared into those large purple eyes, contemplating what to do. _What would she think of me?_ The gamble was her friendship. Discord asked, "Celestia, do you ever find yourself just thinking about the past and all the mistakes you've made?"

"Sometimes," Celestia answered, confused.

Discord took a deep breath, "Have you ever done something so horrible, that you are forever haunted by it?"

Celestia remained passive, "Yes, why do you ask?"

Discord moved his gaze away from the Sun Princess, looking out into the night sky. "After Tirek's defeat, I was shocked when Twilight and her friends were so willing to forgive me. It-it felt amazing to be forgiven." Discord's voice dropped lower, his red irises becoming unfocused as his long face grimaced in pain. "I have never really been forgiven before. Yes you and your sister have been kind to me after I was reformed, but this was truly being forgiven. I felt bad for what I did, but relieved that they would still be my friends."

Celestia sat on the cold floor, continuing to listen, "But why have you been acting so strange?"

Discord remained silent, the only sound in the large room were the subtle breath of the two deities. "I regret my past." Celestia's viewable eye widened slightly in surprise at the sound of miserable pain in his voice, but she dared not interrupt him. Discord needed to talk to somepony and sometimes the best medicine was an open ear. "I cannot say I was a good person when I first came into being. I was not the same Discord you see before you. I was angry, vengeful. I was a beast, an animal, all sound and fury. I attacked anything that was close to me."

Discord took a shuttering breath, memories of fire and destruction flowing through his mind. A world burned and its people cried out in anguish. Discord continued, "I took out my anger and pain on innocent beings from all across the universe." Discord ignored the gasp of surprise from Celestia, the princess quickly quieting herself to allow him to continue. "I could try to dismiss it all, saying that it wasn't me. That I didn't understand what I did and I could not control myself. But in the end, a part of me did commit some of the worst travesties the universe had the displeasure of witnessing."

Discord fell into silence, Celestia waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, she asked, "What did you do?"

Discord's rolled his jaw around in his paw, considering the best answer. "I wiped an entire species from the face of creation."

Celestia's eye filled with horror for the creature in front of her. The only reason she didn't fly down to Ponyville and get Twilight plus friends to beat Discord into a bloody pulp was the sorrow etched in his face. Deep wrinkles lined his forehead and the corners of his mouth, emphasizing his deepening frown. Never had Celestia ever seen Discord this sad, this heartbroken.

"Why?"

Discord answered, twisting his tail between his paws, "I don't know." The best way he could answer. "I could only see in them everything I hated about the universe. They did not have to suffer for the light. They were allowed to be what I could not. They were able to make their own choices, they could be whatever they wanted to be."

Celetia's eyes softened slightly, but remained guarded. "What race was it?"

Discord scratched under his chin, trying to remember their name, "I believe they called themselves hoomuns."

Celestia's eyebrow rose, "Do you mean tell me that you are responsible for the extinction of humans on this planet?"

All of the races of this planet knew about humans. Every land contained small traces of the once mighty race. Stories and legends grew from these ancient relics. That they had the power to fly without wings, buildings so tall they could touch the heavens, and could perform great miracles without the need of magic. No pony knew what a human even looked liked, but many years have passed as more of their work was uncovered from the earth. Humans were a mystery that could never be fully understood. They had fallen prey to time's unrelenting grip.

"Yes," Discord answered softly. "I saw them take their first steps onto land and I was there when the last of humanity took their dying breath."

Disgusted would be an appropriate word for what Celestia felt right now. Her stomach clenched painfully and her head swam, "How do you feel about your actions today?"

Discord answered, "It makes me feel horrible inside, unclean, like I want to vomit out my insides." Celestia felt some relief, only a sliver, that Discord did feel wrong about his actions. Discord asked, his face still pained, "Do you want to know the worst part about it?"

"What?"

"There's no taking it back." Celestia was taken aback by this sudden remark. Discord looked at his own paws, shaking his head, "I cannot undo what I did. With all of these godlike powers, I cannot turn back time and I cannot bring back the dead." Faces flashed through his mind. Pale faces of men and women who fell to his wrath.

**Sniff. Sniff.**

To see Discord like this was unheard of. Here the great draconequus shed a tear for the long lost race. Celestia didn't know how to proceed; no pony would have ever imagined having to consul Discord. "Discord," Celestia began, the draconequus turning his head towards her, "I don't know how I can help you with this, but I am willing to try and understand what your plight is. I will try my best to assist you in any way I can."

Discord's face brightened slightly, a glimmer of happiness in his eye. Celestia could be such a kind soul, always willing to help others in a time of need. Discord said, "That's the problem. How can I make up for something I did in the past? How can I be forgiven for destroying an entire race?"

Silence followed. The two continued to sit in silence, the moon continuing its arch through the night sky to swim through a sea of stars. Discord's mind glanced over the various memories, until he focused on a very particular encounter with a nameless man.

"Celestia," Discord said, "Do you believe in ghosts?"

Celestia blinked several times, "No."

Discord said, "But ghosts do exists." Without much care, Discord ignored Celestia's confused look, "The past is our ghost. It follows us wherever we go and haunts us every waking moment. Even as the memories fade with time, they will never truly disappear and the feelings of guilt will always remain." Discord took a deep breath, "Out of all of the humans I have encounter, there are few that I remember with some detail. One in particular does exist in Equestria."

Celestia asked, "Who?"

"I don't remember his name," Discord's brow furrowed in concentration. "I can vaguely remember his face. But I remember what he did."

"What?"

"He wounded me," Discord stated. With no reservation, Discord began to share his story with Celestia as the mental reel started playing in his head, both faded and blurring…

0 0 0

_The early twenty-first century, Earth was in turmoil. Economies crashed and tensions rose as a new enemy appeared before them. All of the nations and their military might could not stop him._

_Discord smiled down from high in the blue sky on the dry desert ground._

_Few settlements remained, pockets of the population holding up in secluded areas. Below him, a large base had once stood. The large warehouses once housed the proud training facility for the newest F-35 fighter jets. A long airfield ran through the middle of the open fields, far away from the brown brick offices and several barracks meant to house recruits. A single concrete structure sporting a large cross proclaimed the hospital directly in the center of the living courters._

_Hundreds of feet of wired fencing ran along the perimeter with several sections of thick brick walling facing the city road._

_His minions overran the installations defenses as the officials rushed to evacuate all essential personnel along with the civilians. Every active and reserve member met the horde of abominations with every piece of hardware their arsenal had. Training jets fitted for combat, humvees attached with heavy machine guns spilling hot lead into the advancing army, and the individually issued M-4 and M-16 battle rifles firing from atop rooftops and windows. The base's defenders were short handed, not enough weapons for each man or woman, forcing them to improvise with homemade weapons of crude metal._

_Discord had come to expect this kind of resistance. An animal with its back to the wall will fight with all of its might till the very last breath. Discord floated down towards the hospital, the bases defenders barely holding the horde of grotesque creatures at bay._

_Discord landed softly in front of one of his creations. Beings of twisted and scared red flesh, made of a thick torso, two legs and extended arms that fell past their knees tipped with five jagged fingers made from tan bone. On what could be called a head; there were no eyes, only a single gaping mouth of spinning razor sharp teeth and an black pit. Pieces or rock and rubble stuck out awkwardly all over the creatures with pieces of faded fabrics and leathers barely holding onto these warped bodies._

_Created from the flesh of his human victims, they were mindless brutes. They served his every whim without question. Stronger and faster than their previous counterparts, they were the perfect killing machines. They felt no remorse and did not suffer from any moral obligations._

_Discord casually walked up to the destroyed entryway, white hot lead lancing out of the hallway towards the draconequus. Each piece of metal rebounded off an invisible barrier, splashing the surrounding rock and minion with fragments of hot metal._

_'It is too easy.'_

_Discord entered the long pale white hallway of broken tile and scorched walls. Discord skirted around the piles of dead men and minions. The humans' uniforms of greens, tans and blues stained with their owner's blood. At the end of the hallway, four men positioned themselves behind the corner of the wall, their rifles littering the floor with brass._

_The wall they were using as protection came to life, spikes of white stucco piercing through their armor and uniforms. They slowly gasped for air, their lungs pierced. One managed to reach for his sidearm, aiming the handgun at Discord. The man's hand disappeared as he squeezed the trigger, leaving a bloody stump and screaming man behind him._

_Discord smiled as the man's screams echoed down the hall, the mindless drones slowly following in the wake of their master to finish off the suffering men._

_The ER room was a nightmare, nurses and doctors rushed the wounded out from the open and into the basement. Empty beds and overturned tables littered both sides of the room in their mad rush to escape. It was a futile effort, but what choice did they have. The horde was entering from all sides of the building. Standing stationary next to the door, the last soldier stood with his weapon drawn on the only entryway. The rest of the wing blocked off by welded metal benches from the park._

_Barely five foot ten inches, this man wore the light green of his service and thick steel toed boots. An insignia of three stripes and a star were stitched to each sleeve. The man had broad shoulders and stocky build with a rounded face, his light blue eyes peering down the iron sights of the old M-16. He had to be just out of his twenties, his light brown hair short. Inside he was scared, not just for his life, but for the lives of the people franticly trying to move the ill. But his hands were steady, and he was waiting._

_To make a bad situation worse, he had no bullet proof vest. All he had was a single pistol strapped to his right thigh and a six inch blade pressing against his left hip. There were not enough vests to go around and he was not a combat soldier, the small patch over the letters 'United States Air Force' displaying a compass with wings and a gear surrounded by an olive branch. Sitting to his left, four clips full of ammo laid ready on a small white table._

_Muffled screams could be heard from the locked doors. His orders were to stop anyone and anything from entering through the thick glass doors of foggy grey glass. The soldier flipped his weapon to semi, taking a deep breath into his quivering lungs and releasing it. His hands never shook. The hair on the back of his head stood on end, knowing the inevitability of their plight. All of his senses waited for the right moment, for any sign of movement._

_A tall silhouette moved towards the doors, two mismatched horns visible through the warped glass. The soldier did not hesitate to flip his weapon to auto, unleashing a deadly storm of bullets. Nurses and doctors barked out orders as the residents screamed in terror._

_Glass shattered, littering the ground in a shower of diamonds. Discord smiled at the vein attempt, the soldier emptying an entire clip in seconds._

_**Click. Click. Click.**_

_The soldier's left hand ejected the spent clip, reaching for a fresh one. Before his hand could wrap around a new clip, wires burst from the soft ceiling to wrap around the soldier's neck lifting him up slightly. Force to stand on the tips of his toes. The soldier's rifle dropped uselessly on the ground with his left hand reaching for the wire around his neck, the right hand going to the handgun._

_Lifting the sidearm to waste height, the soldier's finger squeezed the trigger. Brass flew from the small weapon, the soldier attempted to keep his aim true as the wire cut into his neck. The metal weapon flew out of his hand by an unseen force, leaving him to struggle against the wire._

_Discord slowly drew closer to the struggling human, those blue eyes full of angry. Veins bulged in his head, the soldier desperately trying to pry the metal wire from around his neck with both hands. Discord chuckled, passing the soldier to move to the rest of the room, "Now who should I play with next?"_

_The entire room was silent, no one dare move a muscle in front of Discord else they attract his attention. The soldier reached for the knife, Discord's back to him, and proceeded to violently cut the wire just above his head._

_Discord ignored the sound of scrapping metal, more interested in the whimpering of the people in his sights. 'Why would a god have to worry about a single man?' Discord raised his lion's paw, all of the horde moving to surround the building or search for more enemies in the untaken facilities._

_Discord smiled, his snake like tongue gliding over his sharp teeth in anticipation. He would have some fun with these humans. 'I hope they scream,' Discord thought as the sides of his grin grew wider. Twisting his sickeningly long face at the many torments his mind could conceive._

_The faint snap brought Discord back to reality, but he didn't need to turn around to see the coughing soldier rubbing his neck while holding his knife ready with the left hand ready for a fight. Discord chuckled at this human's attempt at bravery, "Tell me boy, which one of these lovely ladies would you like me to start with?"_

_Faster than anyone could react, Discord appeared next to a short dark skinned nurse wearing pale green scrubs. Tears began to fall from her dark eyes, an eagle's claw clenching the back of her neck roughly. Discord looked towards the soldier, passing the tip of the tiger's claw over the young woman's exposed throat. "Should she be quick, or should I take my time with her? Your choice."_

_Discord enjoyed seeing the wheels turn inside the man's head, trying to figure a way to save her. Even in the face of the inevitable death, soldiers will try to save a life in need. Pushing his talon against the woman's Adam's apple and applying just the right amount of pressure to cause a single tear of crimson blood to slide down her throat, the soldier yelled throwing out his hand to stop Discord, "Wait! Wait!"_

_Discord stopped, enjoying the look of turmoil on the young human's face, "Yes?"_

_"Let her go and take me instead."_

_'Oh that is such the cliché, but I do love to play with these would be heroes.' Discord chuckled, "And why would I do that?"_

_The man froze, trying to think of an excuse, "Because she won't be any fun."_

_'That's a new one.' Discord commented, "I don't know. I think I can make her scream louder than you."_

_"But she won't give you a good fight. I can."_

_"Why does that matter?" Discord asked, his forked tongue sticking out of his teeth to taste the air. He could taste the overpowering stench of fear from every person in this room, especially the young soldier._

_"Because you want to have fun," the soldier continued, trying desperately to keep his voice from shaking. "Where is the fun in hurting someone if you can't get any satisfaction?" This hit a cord with the draconequus, catching his attention as the soldier moved a step closer, "How can it be fun if no one's able to give you a challenge? To me it'd get a little dull if all you ever wanted you could make happen with just a snap of your fingers. If everything were that easy, than what's the point in doing anything."_

_'I see where this is going.' Discord was actually surprised at the sudden move. Of course he had been challenged by individuals before, but here this kid was trying to play to his ego. 'Interesting, but incredibly stupid.' This man was still doomed to die. "For your insolence, I could just snap my fingers and kill you right now. What would you say about that?"_

_The soldier didn't even hesitate to respond, "Where'd the fun in that be? Wouldn't that be a waste?" Discord's smile grew even bigger, taking up his entire muzzle. The soldier saw the insatiable hunger behind those large yellow eyes, the eyes of a madman. Now it was time to drive in the point, the human lifted up his knife slowly turning the blade in his grip, "You'd waste the opportunity to get your hands dirty, to stick a knife me and slowly turn it. To watch what's going in my head and enjoy every second as the life slowly vanishes from my eyes. It won't be quick. It won't be clean. Now doesn't that sound like a fun time?"_

_Discord cackled loudly, dropping the nurse on the ground to approach the apprehensible soldier. "Very well, I'll play your game, but first," with a flick of his wrists Discord sent the six in blade out of the human's hand and into the wall. "Let's make this a little more interesting."_

_The soldier nodded, buttoning off his top shirt and tossing it to the ground to ensure it could not get in the way. A light green t-shirt covered the soldier's torso, the soldier lifting both of his hands with his fists curled. He may not know any fancy fighting styles, but he did know how to hit hard._

_Discord tilted his head to each side, several pops filling the air. Discord readies both of his paws, curled into fists. Silence crept between the two, the only sound were the remaining orderlies and their patients slowly edging their way out the back of the room. The soldier watched the monster in front of him for any indication of his first move._

_Both moved at the same time, the human rushing forward to tackle the tall draconequus. Wrapping both arms around his waist, the human twisted and slammed Discord into the hard tile like a professional wrestler. Discord recovered quickly, grabbing the railing of a nearby bed to get to his feet. The soldier slammed his fist into his stomach, beginning to work on the body with powerful blows from both hands into the brown furred body. A right cross across the muzzle caused Discord to stumble back. The soldier was breathing heavily and heart pumping in his chest, adrenaline pumping through his veins._

_Discord rubbed his jaw, an amused grin playing across his muzzle, "Is that all you've got?"_

_Discord was up on him in a heartbeat. The soldier blocked the right hook, the blow causing his arm to tremble. It felt like being hit by a jackhammer. The soldier delivered a quick left jab before ducking under Discord's left. Following up with an uppercut to the grey muzzle, Discord caught the soldier's right arm with his left arm. The white talons on Discord's right paw stabbed into the small of the soldier's back._

_Stumbling back, Discord pushed the soldier into the wall next to the entrance. Lights flashed before the human's eyes as he desperately held both of his forearms to block his upper body, Discord's fist crashing into his sides and face. Backhanding the draconequus, the human followed by kicking Discord's side to drive him back._

_With a flick of his tail, Discord's white tufted wrapped around one of the human's arm and pulled him towards the center of the room. Losing his footing, the soldier stumbled for a second and allowed Discord to hit him with a solid hit across the chin. Stars flew across his vision. The soldier collided with the hard ground, releasing a grunt. Looking up to see a gloating Discord looking down on him, the soldier growled loudly at him. "Over so soon?" Discord motioned to himself in disappointment, "I want my money's worth. Come on! Get up!"_

_"Coming right up!" The human responded, quickly rising to his feet. A slap across his chest sent him back down._

_Discord moved closer and within striking range, "Going back down!"_

_The soldier's foot struck like a snake, catching the scaled leg and causing Discord to fall onto one knee. The human was up in a heartbeat, grabbing Discord by the scruff of his neck and slamming his head into the ground. Pulling Discord's head went back up, the soldier's left hand delivered a vicious hook across Discord's jaw. Before another hit could land, Discord grabbed the human by the shoulder and effortlessly flung him into the railing of an opposing bed._

_The soldier yelped as Discord, grabbed his shoulder and threw him flat onto the ground. Rolling to the side, the soldier looked up in time to catch that reptilian tail upside his head. Reeling, dark red crimson flew from his mouth filling it with the taste of rust._

_"Taste good?"_

_The soldier barely had time to stumble into the center of the room before the vile serpent Discord delivered a painful kick to his chest._

_Flying out the destroyed door, the human body skidding across the debris covered tile. Wood and glass cut deep into his arms and face. The soldier groaned as he got to his feet, littering the floor in a shower of tiny rubies. Vision blurring, he blinked rapidly at the tall shadow approaching him in an attempt to focus his vision._

_Facing Discord, the soldier balled his fists in anger. Pieces of sharp wood and glass stuck out of his flesh all over his arms, shoulders and back. He ignored the pain and lightheadedness, as the beast approached. Ducking under the wide arch of Discord's eagle claw, the soldier delivered a powerful blow to Discord's side and to the face. Discord backhanded the human, knocking him back._

_The soldier was able to remain on his feet. Sweat trickled down his face burning the eyes and cuts. Skin rose around his eyes, sights of future bruises. His ribs hurt, but still allowed some air into his body through shallow breaths._

_Inside, Discord was ecstatic and having the time of his life watching this soldier trying to fight. Now, Discord wanted to raise the stakes. Swiping at the human with his claws extended, Discord sought to render the soft pink flesh. The human ducked under the right claw, the draconequus's attack wide and providing the human with an opening he needed._

_In a hurry, the soldier wrapped one arm under each of Discord's arm in a full nelson. The tail thrashed rapidly, but the soldier drove his knee into the small of Discord's back. In a blur of movement, the human found himself holding nothing but air. A solid strike in his ribs drove him to the right, cradling his left side. His ribs burned and he could have sworn he heard a sickening crack. Breathing became harder, a hot poker sticking in his side._

_Discord advanced, easily swatting the blows the soldier threw. With a flash of talons, four deep lacerations appeared across his chest. The cotton shirt absorbed the blood, white fire lacing across the soldier's skin. Hissing, the soldier brought his elbow to Discord's jaw while Discord stabbed at his gut. The nail pierced him like a burning torch, driving the little breath he head out of his lungs._

_Discord removed his lion's claw from the human's gut and grabbed his throat. Without so much as a grunt, Discord easily lifted the soldier over his head with one arm before driving him down on the ground._

_The human remained on his back trying to swallow as much air as he could, Discord taking a step back to watch. His eyes flashing in the florescent light as a predator's would, the kill was almost here and he could taste it. The soldier's body hurt, pain centered on the cuts on his chest, gut, broken ribs, and face. The adrenaline rush was fading under the pulsating pain spread across his body._

_Slowly, the human rolled to his side, coughing up blood onto the ruined floor in an attempt to clear his lungs. On shaking legs, he stood with his hands held ready. 'I should probably congratulate him. I didn't even think he'd have this much in him.'_

_Discord asked, "Did you think you were going to die today?"_

_To Discords surprise and amusement, the human chuckled, "Yeah, I did."_

_"Then why did you want to play this little charade? You might have lived longer if you ran?"_

_The human remained silent for a moment, flecks of blood and spittle leaving his open mouth, "Because I had to try." A simple answer._

_Discord hummed to himself, thinking deeply about what to do next. Deciding it was time to end this little game, Discord moved first. The human jabbed at the approaching figure with his right hand. The fist connected only with air._

_In a burst of pain and blood, claw marks appeared on the back of his right hand all the way up his arm. Staggering forward, more pain exploded from his back. Discord slashed from the human's right shoulder to lower back, leaving a trail of torn flesh. The soldier spun to backhand the offending beast, Discord caught his attack without a problem. Faster than he could conceive, Discord's talons slashed down the left side of his face._

_Pain, that was all he felt as nerves fired their messages into the brain. His eye darkened to pitch black._

_Before the soldier could fall backwards, Discord kicked in his right kneecap. A sharp snap emitted from the joint, bending the wrong way. The soldier howled with pain, his crumbling under him. Red hot liquid slid across his face, his left eye useless as he barely registered the paw gripping his shirt and dragging him across shatter glass to the empty wall next to the ER entrance. The light was better and Discord wanted to see the work he had done by setting the human with his back propped against the wall._

_Discord looked down on his handiwork with fondness. The entire left side of the human's face was composed of mangle and torn flesh, clear soft tissue of the eye running down the ruined cheek. His right eye was nearly closed, only a sliver of white and blue visible under blackening lids. Discord clucked his tongue, noticing the bone sticking out of the jeans on the right leg. His entire shirt and most of his pants were stained by blood, sweat, and brown dirt clinging to it. "You've really done a number on yourself."_

_The soldier could barely register Discord's voice, the edges of his vision blurring. The only thing he could focus on was those mad yellow eyes. The fluorescent lights grew brighter as their surrounding wall grew darker._

_The Spirit of Chaos moved forward, kneeling down to whisper in his ear, "Don't feel bad. We both knew this would happen and now I have to finish it." The human's left felt the ground next to him, trying to find anything sharp. A sharp point cut into the hard flesh, letting him know of the large piece of glass lying beside him._

_Raising a paw, Discord brought forth the cold steel knife the soldier dropped earlier. With the blade pointed up, Discord prepared to deliver the killing blow. The blade's point flew closer to the human's unprotected throat._

_He had to move. The blade drew ever so closer. The rest of his body refused to obey its master, thoughts unable to penetrate abused flesh. Still the knife came closer, only a few inches away._

_By sheer force of will, the soldier managed to move his body, leaning to the left. Discord's eyes grew wide as the knife's blade missed his vital throat, driving deep into the wall at an awkward angle just above the shoulder. With the blade's miss, the human's right hand crabbed the back of Discord's neck._

_Pulling it towards him, the soldier bashed his head into Discord's muzzle. Slightly stunned, Discord did not see the jagged edge of glass sinking into his neck._

_Discord released a surprise gargled, black liquid seeping from the wound in his neck. Moving backward, Discord dropped the knife he was wielding and wrapped his paws around his throat. Three inches of grass stuck out from between his fingers, dark liquid spilling onto his coat and the floor. The soldier only watched Discord, having no strength to move._

_A sickening feeling filled the human's gut, loud chuckles escaped from Discord's grinning mouth. Discord pulled out the piece of glass with no hesitation before looking at it in the light. Black grease slid over the glass, dripping unnaturally slow towards the cold hard floor. "I don't think I've ever seen my own blood before," Discord commented nonchalantly, as if he were merely talking about the weather._

_The soldier couldn't move, trapped by pain and utter horror at the monster in front of him. If Discord could not be killed, then the entire human race was doomed. Fear enveloped him in his stupor. Discord turned to him, discarding the makeshift weapon with no care. Horrible things passed through his mind, all arranged on what he could do to the poor human. Discord advanced upon his downed opponent, clapping ever so softly, "Congratulation! You my good sir have won the chance to receive some special treatment from yours truly."_

_If the soldier could move, he would have run for his life. Those sick yellow eyes were staring at him with newfound hunger, "Now I was thinking about what I should do with you." Discord appeared next to the human, sitting down and leaning his head on the human's left shoulder to look up into that destroyed face. "I was thinking about some dark and terrible torture, like turning you into one of my minions or into a bug that I could slowly pull of each leg and leaving you to die in agony." The soldier remained silent, his heart pounding against his chest and desperately trying to escape. "But then I thought 'I really want to remember this day'," in a swirl of motion, Discord jumped into the air before pointing down at the dying soldier in judgment. "So I'm going to make you a personal collection in my garden."_

_The soldier didn't know what that meant. Nor did he feel his limbs locking up, his hands and boots turning a deep white color. Marble laced with a flowing grey mineral swirled started consumed the human's body. From the hands and boots, rock converted flesh and cloth leaving the head for last. The last thing this human would ever know was the laughing face of Discord and the knowledge of his failure._

0 0 0

Discord and Celestia remained silent. Celestia was disturbed to put it mildly, she asked, "What happened after that?"

Discord said glumly, "I proceeded to finish my work, keeping him as a statue to remember that day for all times."

No matter how much she felt disgusted with Discord, she could not change the past and had to instead work on the present Discord in hopes of preventing any future acts of violence. "Do you have any ideas where the statue is now?"

Discord scratched his head, "I can sense where any of my magic lingers. Finding him would only take a short amount of time."

"Have you ever considered releasing him from his stone prison?" Celestia asked, wondering about the answer.

"Yes," Discord sighed. "The problem is that his flesh has no magical properties and unable to survive the conversion to stone, he's basically dead." Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but Discord cut her off, "I don't mean that he's dead-dead. His life force was sealed inside the stone body, he's more half-dead than full dead. Only his flesh was affected. I would have to infuse a large amount of magic into his flesh to return it to organic tissue. That would cause massive amounts of changes in his form. I would basically be creating a new body for him."

"How would you create a new body? You said it yourself, you can't bring back the dead," Celestia responded, trying to decipher Discord's words.

Discord explained, "I can use some of my blood to create new flesh. It's not bringing back the dead, instead infusing the magic within my tissue into his body. The magic would be very volatile. I would have very little to no control over what form he would take. It would make him into the image of any of the inhabitants in this world." Before Celestia could ask why, Discord spouted, "The reason is that his flesh would need to inherit properties of magic to live again. Human's never had magic. His flesh would be taking on these properties through the conversion process, and as such, force him to become a being that can handle magic. He could be an earth pony, unicorn, dragon, Pegasus, or even a griffin."

Celestia's eyes widened with surprise, "Why haven't you done this already?"

Discord turned pale, "Because I don't know what will happen to him after. His mind will be fractured. The human mind was not designed to survive this type of curse. Memories and bits of his personality would be warped or missing when he woke up. He would be a broken mind in a body that's not his, living in a world that he knows nothing about. How would he survive in this situation?"

To Discord's surprise, Celestia agreed, "You are right Discord."

Discord turned to her, asking or almost pleading, "What should I do? I want to free him, but I don't know if he can live in this world. He is my only connection to that lost world, without him the only things that remain of humanity are their decaying ruins."

Celestia hummed to herself, thinking deeply. "I think the best option is to do nothing."

_Wait what?_

Before Discord start, Celestia said, "If you truly want to free him, then that is your decision. But if you do the best thing would be for you to keep your distance…"

"Why?!"

"Because," Celestia said, "your interactions may bring back those painful memories from his past and cause him to become unstable towards the world around him. A broken mind is not easily mended and is more likely to act on impulses when introduced to a stressful situation. You have played a huge role in his life, meaning he will most likely react negatively to your presence. He may even become violent. It would require lots of time and a loving environment to heal his wounds. Equestria is a very open society, but we would have to slowly introduce him to it with the knowledge of his special heritage and his situation."

Discord asked, "If I do this, do you think I can be forgiven?"

"I don't know," Celestia took a deep breath. "He may never be able to forgive you for what you have done to him and his world. That will have to be a fact you may have to accept. I would recommend reflecting on your past and finding a better way to improve yourself for the future. But be warned, dwelling in the past will only cause you more pain. Learn from the past and don't dig up old wounds. You may do some good or you may do more harm. No pony can know for certain what the outcome will be."

With that Celestia grew silent. Discord's looked deep into those large eyes, finding concern and fear. Discord said, "I will try my best to follow your advice, because it is sound advice." Celestia smiled as Discord's frown lightened, "But if I do try to free him, would you help me? He'll need a lot of help?"

Celestia dipped her head, "Of course I will Discord. We are friends after all."

Discord chuckled, "Goodnight, Princess Celestia."

"Goodnight Discord." With that, Celestia left the throne room to retire to her chambers. Discord decided to walk through the walls and into the open night air. _Luna did always have a way with stars._ Flying through the clear night air, Discord flew gently over the land. As he flew, the only though on his mind was what to do.

_Should I risk the chance he won't be able to handle this world, or do I let him remain in his stone body? The risk was so great, not just for him but for all of those ponies this human would be in contact with. If only I knew more about him?_ That struck a chord in Discord's head. _What did he know about him? He could be a raving psychotic for all Equestria was concerned._

_Let's see: he was protective of others, he wanted to save lives and he was unafraid to give his life for the rest of those people in that hospital. No. He was trembling when he saw me, but he still managed stand up tall and proud. The only kind of pony I know who would do that would be a good pony. He's more like a pony than we know. He would willing go through hell to help someone. Or maybe I'm delusional._ Discord's mind recalled the scene before, recalling the desperation and fear. Discord felt hope, He did it for others. So he is a good person. Hope that he may be right. That this human may be just like the ponies he lived with and would not willingly harm a pony. _Is it worth the risk?_

0 0 0

The statue wasn't very hard to find. At the bottom of a sink hole in a massive rainforest, buried under piles of soil and dead leave sat the human soldier. With a snap of his fingers, the earth rose in the air and formed a miniature volcano. Bits of dirt and pieces of plants erupted into the air like a gauzier. Discord waited patiently. Slowly a black head rose up from the ground, followed by a torso, arms and legs. "Oh my! You are a dirty boy. Let me get you all nice and clean," Discord chuckled softly, pulling from their air a large feather duster. With a few swipes, the marble returned to its pristine white. Untouched by time, the soldier remained the same after all of these years. Seeing this unchanged being sent a hallow pang in his chest.

Discord attempted to distract himself. _Wow. My magic does do a great job in preservation. Maybe I could take up a job at a museum. I'm sure everypony would just love to see the exhibits come to life… Wait, I think that's been done before._

Shaking his head, Discord leaned towards the statue's head. Looking deep into his single eye, Discord could feel the hopelessness of the stuck gaze. Discord straightened, looking down at the statue. He wanted to release him, but feared the risks. Looking into that single eye, Discord felt the compelling need to right his wrong. Seeing the still broken body, Discord could almost feel the flesh tearing under his claws.

Shivering as the uncomfortable memory crept over him, Discord thought _What to do now?_ Huffing Discord sat to the left of the statue facing the same direction. Both stared at the dark green foliage creeping down the sides of the sinkhole. In silence, Discord listened to the continuous calls of birds, bugs and many other animals inside the forest. It was peaceful.

Discord cupped his head between his paws, groaning in discontent. His mind was split. This place was too peaceful and too depressing at the same time. Turning to look at the destroyed face Like so many years ago, Discord rested his head against the soldier's shoulder.

The feeling of longing filled his heart. Longing to see this soul free from the suffering he had caused it so long ago. New energy shot into his limbs, no longer would he wait._ If there are any issues, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it._ Discord jumped to his feet, rolling his shoulders in anticipation for the trial ahead, "Alright human! This is it! I'm not just going to free you. I'm going to give you the best life you could imagine! Um… How am I going to do that?"

Discord froze, trying to comprehend what the next step was. Freeing someone was one thing: but where do they go when you free them? Discord's answer: _Ponyville_. The place had every form of kindness imaginable. _But what about a home? A job?_ Discord had the answer to this as well: _Princess Celestia could help._ She knows ponies and being a princess, she'll be able to help with any financial complications. _But I'll have to stay off the radar_, Discord's smile faltered. _If that's the way it has to be, then so be it. This isn't for me._

Raising his lions paw, the white talon of his second paw sliced through the brown pad. Black blood seeped from the deep scratch. Taking a deep breath, Discord tried to quell the squirming in his gut. _I've never attempted anything like this before, but where's the fun without a little mystery._

Discord placed the bleeding palm against the human's brow, focusing on his magic. Discord felt the all too familiar buildup of magic within his chest before moving towards his palm. Black veins spread across the uneven surface of the statue away from the physical contact. More magic continued to flow, the white marble becoming completely covered in black liquid.

Magic continued to drain from Discord, the black substance reflecting the poor light of the sinkhole. The liquid mass stirred and twisted across the surface of the statue. Time began to slow for Discord as more magic were taken from his body.

"Grrrrr," Discord growled, the strain on his magic growing as the black mass writhed violently under his palm. The spell continued to draw on his strength. Beads of sweat developed on his brow as the spell continued to pull from him. All attempts to cut the flow of magic failed, Discord dropping to one knee as he continued to grow weaker. _Why won't it stop?_ Discord screamed in his head as his limbs grew heavy.

The black mess flashed red, exploding in Discord's face. Discord flew through the air, section of the marble statue bouncing off his hide. Leaving a trail of upturned dirt as his slid across the soft soil, Discord decided to just lie there when he finally came to rest. Breathing the humid air, Discord felt shaken. Never before had he experienced this kind of backlash from a spell and he would most likely never try to perform it again. Wearily getting to his feet, Discord approached the smoldering hole left by the spell. Tendrils of smoke rising from the blackened earth. Discord slowly approached the hole, apprehensive about what might occupy the space.

Discord's jaw dropped, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

"W-well, I didn't expect that."


	2. Chapter 2

Time Lost

Ch. 2: Weary Traveler

Disclaimer: I do not own the right to My Little Pony, all other characters are mine.

Discord stared dumbfounded at the twitching body inside the smoldering crater. The thing's sharp breathing mixing with the choir of sounds filling the forest. Just larger than a small dog, the former human resemble nothing like his former race or much of a pony for that matter. _I feel as though some divine entity will be disappointed he didn't turn out to be a pony._ His face had shifted to become more angled like an arrowhead, a sharp curved beak gasping for air. Discord felt despair filling his heart, the little thing still retained the wounds from before. Crimson fluid covering a majority of the disheveled feathers on his face and body, torn tissue exposed to the open air. At the top of his head, white feathers poked in every direction outlined in a deep black. From what Discord could make out from the spacing the feather not covered in blood, the plumage appeared to be a pristine white that flowed from his head to his chest.

Flowing across his sides and down his front legs, the short feathers were a shade of deep grey. The yellow talons open and closed, the new body convulsed to the throbbing pain. Two light grey wings twitched. They were longer than a Pegasus flowing to a sharp point. His hind legs were strange even by Discord's standards. Feathers giving way to a short fur coat of deepest blue resembling a pony's rear. Toughs of white fur appeared over his cream colored hooves. Splintered bone lay open to the elements from the destroyed joint of the right leg. A short scruffy tail of pure white sprouted from the human's spine.

Discord was puzzled, _What in the name of Tartarus happened?_ Discord slowly advanced, holding his paw over the young human to scan his body. Muscles twitched under his skin, his lone eyes rolling in all directions under the lid. Thankfully, the mind wasn't working right now. Black emptiness laid human's weakened mind to rest. He could feel the chaotic magic's effects on the body, twisting and contorting the human's into its present form. So much magic, Discord feared the spell might have gone overboard. Discord continued to study the magic feeling it flow through every vein and organ, ensuring they operate properly. To his relief, the magic was keeping him alive.

Realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

_I didn't think of that._

With so much chaotic magic inside his body, the human could have easily succumbed to magic poisoning. When too much magic exists within a single body, the magic can slowly break down the connecting tissue until nothing remains. Only the more powerful forms of magic could create such an effect, few recorded cases of magic poisoning have occurred in Equestria. Most ended in tragedy. Here, Discord's magic stopped just short of that line. If Discord were to try and heal the human's injuries, it would probably kill the human before he could even move. For these wounds to heal, the safest bet would be for nature to run its course.

_Then why is he so young?_

Discord shook his head, becoming lightheaded trying to solve this mystery and the amount of magic used. A thought struck his head, a light bulb flashing over his head. _Magic is what it is. Who am I to say what it should be?_

Discord crouched next to the human, gently sliding both of his paws under the griffin's body. Discord froze, a high pitched yelp escaping the yellow beak. Slowly, gently, Discord pulled the trembling body into his chest._Thank the universe he isn't conscious, that would have complicated things._

Taking a steadying breath, Discord prepared his trip for Ponyville. His first thoughts were to go to Fluttershy's home, but he froze. _How could I forget! She's won't be home for three more days. Stupid rabbits and their breeding habits_.

Discord jumped into the air, turning to face Ponyville's general direction. Cold wind blew past the pair, Discord taking a deep breath of the crisp clean air.

Discord's brow furrowed, how should he approach Ponyville with the human? The draconequus sighed in irritation, "Nice going Discord. Due to your lack of foresight, you have no idea what to do next. This is just like that jockstrap incident, only now Celestia can't bury it in a hole!"

_What's done is done, she'll understand. I'll just have to deal with it when I tell her._

Speaking of Celestia, the sun slowly rose behind the tall mountain tops of central Equestia where Canterlot was located. _Wow, I wasted way too much time_. Still trying to think of a solution to his human predicament, Discord looked down to check on his passenger. The little guy was shivering in his arms, the cold air doing nothing for his open wounds. Discord growled in frustration, pulling a small blue blanket from nothing to wrap around the human. Ignoring the blood he smeared across his arms and chest, Discord mumbled "I can't go directly to the hospital. They won't allow me there after the last time I tried to cheer up their patients."

Discord could still feel the nurse's hooves bucking him out of the heavy wooden front doors. A new problem emerged in his head; he was carrying a wounded griffon in his arms. Questions would be asked and ponies everywhere would think he did it. _Which we did, but that's not the point right now_. The hospital staff would also know of his involvement, which could leak back to the human and cause further problems.

Discord's head spun, trying to think of who he could ask for help. Secrecy was key. If he were to stay out of the lime-light in this human's life, no pony could see them together. The more ponies that knew about his envolvement, the less likely Discord could remain hidden. _I'll have to inform Celestia as soon as possible. She'll be better suited to talk to everypony. Plus, she'll be able handle any legal stuff that might pop up._

Discord continued this line of thought, still set on getting the human to Ponyville as soon as possible. The magic may keep him alive for the time being, but Discord wanted him in a professional's care as soon as possible.

_I think the best approach would have to be a pony coming across him in the open._ Discord clicked in tongue in thought. This would be the best option for him. If Discord managed to position the human in just the right spot and a pony JUST SO HAPPENED to find him, he would be able to watch from the shadows and nopony would be the wiser.

In a flash of light, Discord appeared among the clouds above Ponyville. The sun's rays just starting to touch the small homes. Only the earliest of risers were up at this time. _Hm. Who should I pick?_ Discord's skin began to dissolve, the draconequus and human become translucent to avoid any prying eyes.

Flying into the town proper, Discord searched for the right pony. He passed by many ponies. But none really popped out at Discord as worthy. _Too short. Too tall. To stinky, seriously when's the last time you took a bath? And what is going on with your hair girl?_ Discord stared incredulously as a mare passed, her green mane looking like it was attacked by a twister with leaves and twigs sticking out in every direction. Discord sighed in realization that he really wasn't the best judge of character. Any of these ponies could be more than willing to offer a helping hoof, but what about a caregiver to a griffon?

_Celestia did say he needed a loving family. Who would be the most welcoming and loving family in Ponyville?_

With so few ponies to choose from, the search started to become desperate. All of the warm faces looked nice, but Discord would only choose the best for his little human. _Oh no, I'm turning into a mare._ Rising above the Victorian style housing, Discord's eyes scanned the horizon. The bright sun sent orange and purple waves across the heavens, filling the eastern lands with warm light. On the horizon, Discord's eyes fell on a single trail leading from Ponyville towards the apple orchard. Following the trail, Discords invisible eyebrows shot up. _I think I just found a candidate_.

Flying towards the worn dirt trail, Discord watched the single stallion make his way into Ponyville towing a cart behind him. He was big and tall, with a red coat, green eyes, ginger mane and freckles. On his flank, a large sliced open green apple shone against his darker coat. A worn leather yoke was wrapped around the stallion's neck. Discord scratched his chin with his tail, _I know I know him from somewhere. What was his name?_ Vivid memories appeared of this red stallion, first acting as a dog and later being forced to use a bucket as a raft after those dastardly beavers flooded Sweet Apple acres.

Discord knew who this pony was, Applejack's brother. "Big Macaroon… No wait, Big Macintosh!" The stallion's head snapped towards the source of the voice, Discord clamping his mouth shut. _You tend to get me into a lot of trouble. Don't you mouth?_

Discord gently floated further down the path, Big Mac's head swiveled to each side to try and locate who had called his name. The draconequus's mind pondered the possibilities. _He's Applejack's brother, so he's a good pony if he's anything like his sister. I do remember the Apples pride themselves on their connection as a family. Hmmmmmm. This just might work._

Hope took root in Discord's heart, what better home than the Apples. _Sorry Fluttershy. Your home would be great too. Though Angel can be a bit of a handful._ With a plan in mind, Discord silently moved further down the road and away from Macintosh. Only when the stallion was barely a blur did Discord stop.

Just on the edge of the houses, Discord gently untangled the human from the blue fabric. Discord whispered, "So long little guy," with great care Discord placed the new griffon onto the cold ground directly in the center of the road. Discord floated away silently, hiding behind the corner of a bright yellow house. Discord's eyes never left the human.

0 0 0

_Ah sure do love the morning._ Macintosh Apple, or Big Mac as everypony called him, silently marched towards Ponyville with his cart of apples. This morning would be Big Mac's turn to sell apples, a job he did enjoy. Socializing wasn't his strong suite, but Big Mac did enjoy the spending time with other ponies. The morning was still cool, feeling great against his fur. A light breeze ruffled his mane during his walk.

The only sound accompanying the stallion was the crunching of gravel under his hooves and the squeaking of wheels from the wooden cart. Big Mac wasn't in any rush. The sun just started to catch up to the farm pony, warming his back and casting his shadow on the brown earth. As the houses came into view, Big Mac's heart stopped for a second when a new sound approached him on the breeze. He swore he could hear the faintest of whimpers.

Scanning the road ahead of him, Big Mac found the source. It was small and barely moving.

Lurching forward, Big Mac rushed to the spot with dread at the thought of a hurt and helpless animal. Skidding to a stop, his hooves digging into the earth, Big Mac was shocked to see the animal that lay at his hooves. A griffon. His feathers in every direction, torn flesh across his arm, chest, back and face all covered in flaking red blood. Big Mac unlatched himself from the cart in as fast as he could. Lowering his head to the griffon, Big Mac felt relief seeping into his bones upon seeing the rise and fall of the griffon's chest.

Big Mac's head shot up, questing to the surrounding area worried about a predator about to attack. _It looks like he's been attacked by a timberwolf, but I don't see anything._

Shoving that thought into the back of his mind, Big Mac gently hoisted the griffon onto his back. The griffon flinched at the touch of Big Mac's muzzle under his body. Big Mac carefully galloped towards the Ponyville hospital, trying not to throw off his passenger. All the while, a pair of yellow eyes never lost sight of their charge.

Ponies called after Big Mac, but he ignored them. Legs pounded against the rough dirt roads of Ponyville, sending clouds of dust in his wake. Big Mac's mind remained on his task, but he could help but wonder why a griffon was in Ponyville. _Ah mean we do see a little traffic from griffons, but this just don't feel right to me._

On the opposite side of town stood Ponyville General Hospital, a two story structure of unassuming white washed walls. A large archway of dark brown wood overshadowed the thick double doors of similar wood. Through these doors, Big Mac burst through and startling the white pony with a pink mane tied back into a tight bun. A gust of wind tore through the room, knocking off all of the paper off her spotless desk and onto the pristine white tile.

Anger flashed in Nurse Redheart's eyes as Big Mac rushed past the light green chairs and tables lining both sides of the room, almost slipping on the smooth tile. Her anger dissolved in a heartbeat as Big Mac presented his rider. Nurse Redheart called for a stretcher, her voice loud in the quiet hallways. Two ponies raced around the corner, a wheeled stretcher sandwiched between them. Deftly, the griffon was silently removed from the farm pony's back and deposited in the center of the smooth pad.

Big Mac turned back to Nurse Redheart, the pair leaving with the patient. Nurse Redheart asked, handing a clipboard and papers towards him, "Would you please take these forms and fill them out?"

Big Mac's brow furrowed, his low voice reverberating in the quiet room, "Um… I don't know anything about the kid. I just found him that way in the middle of the road."

The nurse's eyes widened in shock and just the hint of horror, "Oh, would you please take a seat? We'll need you to speak with our representative from Foal Protective Services." Big Mac felt a twinge in his gut at the mention of FPS. Nurse Redheart noticed the uneasiness in the big stallions eyes, "Don't worry too much about it. The counselor will need your statement for her report to her office in Canterlot and for the Royal Guards."

Big Mac nodded in understanding, his mind focusing on another problem. _How am ah going to get the cart? If I could get a message to Applejack, she'll be able to handle it. If only a pony -_

"Ah!" Big Mac nearly jumped out of his skin. The stallion's vision suddenly filled with a pair of bright blue eyes and a pink muzzle.

Pinkie Pie giggled as Big Mac shook his head to settle his nerves, "Hiya Big Mac!"

"Hello, Miss Pinkie," Big Mac greeted slowly. Pinkie Pie proceeded to bounce in one place, her smile revealing all of her perfectly white teeth. Pinkie Pie continued bouncing for several long minutes before Big Mac worked up the nerve to ask, "Um, what brings ya'll here today?"

Pinkie Pie stopped mid-bounce, "Weeeeeell, I was asleep in my bed then my tail was all twitching, but not twitchy-twitchy like when something falls, and then my left knee was all shaky but not shaky-shaky. So I knew somepony would need my help and here I am!"

_Ah'm not gonna ask how._ Big Mac asked, "Miss Pie –" Pinkie turned her big blue eyes on the red stallion,_Kinda creeping me out_. " - Could ya send for Applejack and have her pick up the apple cart? It's just outside of Ponyville."

Pinkie Pie gave a sharp salute before flying out the door in a blur of pink. Big Mac sighed in relief, one problem solved. Taking a seat on the cold upholstery, Big Mac busied himself with the newest issue of 'Physics of the Universe.'

Inside the observation room, a unicorn with orange fur and a combed brown mane began to assess the patient's condition. The nurse assisting the procedure strapped a sensor to the griffon's arm, the heart monitor blazing to life.

Green rays of light poured from Dr. Stable's horn, flowing over the griffon's body. The doctor called the nurse, "Nurse! Where is Dr. Hoarse?"

"He's home," came the quick reply.

Dr. Stable snapped, "Get him here on the double! We need a physician who can operate on griffons!" The nurse released a quick squeak of fear before tearing down the hallway and into the streets of Ponyville. Dr. Stable called for a second assistant, before going to work on cleaning and prepping the griffon for surgery. _Is he a griffon?_

0 0 0

Dr. Hoarse awoke with a startle, a loud banging echoing down the silent hallways of his home. The grey unicorn with a white mane grumbled to his sleeping wife, "I'll get it dear." Leaving his warm bed with a groan, Dr. Hoarse moved through the quiet house.

Dr. Hoarse hissed as the morning sun stung his eyes, surprised to find one of the nurses standing on his front door. The nurse's mane was frazzled. Having to run to the opposite side of Ponyville was not an easy endeavor. "Really bad! ***huff*** Child! ***huff*** Griffon!" were all the words Hoarse could get out of her mouth.

Hoarse's weariness vanished, his pride as a doctor rising in him as he burst from the front steps and into the streets of Ponyville. The nurse called after him, but all he heard was the rushing of wind in his ears. Hoarse ducked, dived and dodged the inhabitants of the town as they moved into the streets.

0 0 0

"Mr. Apple."

Big Mac looked up from his magazine, finding a light tan Earth Pony wearing a purple dress jacket buttoned up with her light violet hair short and combed back. A large clipboard was laid across her back. Her amber eyes watched Big Mac, the large stallion offering her a hoof. The mare smiled before introducing herself, "I'm Counselor Mary Sue from the Office of Foal Protective Services." Taking a seat next to Big Mac, Mary readied her clipboard and pen, "Could you please describe to me how this griffon came into your care?"

Before Big Mac could answer, a grey unicorn burst through the double door and blazed through the lobby. Nurse Redheart groaned as her papers littered the floor once again. Big Mac explained his situation, answering all of the counselor's questions.

Within five minutes, Dr. Hoarse had cleaned himself with a quick spell before donning his green scrubs, muzzled cover, surgery gown and cap. Entering the OR, Dr. Hoarse greeted two other ponies in the room, "Good morning Dr. Stable and Nurse Whitecoat." The unicorn and white Earth pony nodded in return before turning back towards the x-rays pressed against the white viewing screen. Behind the pair, in the center of the room on the surgical table laid his patient. Heart monitor and IV attached to his left arm. The patient's right arm was covered in bandages along with small cuts on his sides and back. Dr. Stable may not know much about the griffon anatomy, he could still provide basic First Aid.

Dr. Hoarse joined the pair, taking note of the cracked ribs and light splotches in the center of the body. "How's he doing?"

Dr. Stable chewed his lip for a few seconds, "He's stable and I've just put him on some fluids. When I scanned him, I noticed a strange magic in his body. It's keeping him alive, but I don't want to try any major healing spells. They might make the situation worse. My main concern is the broken leg, ribs, his eye and this internal bleeding around the abdomen." Dr. Stable motioned with his hoof towards a splash of grey just under the ribs.

"Hmm." Dr. Hoarse thought deeply. "First, we'll start with the face reconstruction. I want to see if we can save the eye, if not we'll have to cauterize the central artery and veins to the retina after removing the damaged tissue. Second, the leg and then we'll move onto the torso. Is that a sound plan to you?" The pair nodded, Dr. Hoarse continued, "Nurse we're going to need 10 CC's of local anesthetic, but keep it mild."

So began the surgery, Dr. Hoarse taking the reins as Dr. Stable and Nurse Whitecoat assisted.

0 0 0

"Thank you, Big Mac," counselor Mary Sue said as she gently placed the stack of paperwork back on her clipboard. Mary commented, "You're more than welcome to stay and wait for him. Or you can leave. I have your contact information if my office or the hospital needs any further information."

Big Mac shook his head, "I'll stay here ma'am. It doesn't seem right to leave a little guy like that all alone." The counselor merely smiled at him before taking her leave.

Big Mac tried to return to the magazine, but another interruption burst through the door followed by a very familiar southern accent, "Big Mac! What in tarnation is going on here?"

Big Mac responded by putting a hoof to his lips, "Shh! This is a hospital Applejack, not a barn."

Now red with embarrassment, Applejack approached her brother looking him dead in the eyes with her ears pulled back, "What happened?"

"I found an injured griffon in the middle of the road," Big Mac answered simply.

"Do you know who they are?" Applejack raised an eyebrow.

"Nope," Big Mac shook his head. "He's just a little guy, but he was roughed up pretty bad." Applejack calmed down slightly, glad that Big Mac wasn't in trouble. Big Mac asked, "Did ya get the cart?"

"I parked it out front." Applejack asked, "What're you gonna do now?"

Big Mac rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "Um, I was hoping ah could stay here and wait for some news. Would ya be willing to take over for the cart today?"

Applejack nodded, smiling kindly. _The big lug always did have a big heart._ Applejack said, "Sure thing, Big Mac. But I'll send some of my friends to check up on ya from time to time."

Big Mac nodded, knowing Applejack worried too much at times. Leaving the lobby to sell some apples, Applejack said a quick goodbye leaving Big Mac alone in the lobby to wait.

From the ceiling, the pair of yellow eyes that followed the red stallion filled with happiness. Discord could leave everything in Big Mac's capable hooves. Now, he needed to head back to Canterlot.

0 0 0

Celestia sat at head of the long banquette table. In front of her sat a bowl of cereal, a salad of varying fruits and a tall glass of OJ. Levitation the newspaper before her eyes, Celestia scanned the cover with a bored expression._It's nice that there's no threat to Equestria, but can there at least be some excitement today._

In an explosion of ceiling tiles, stucco, wood and dust, Discord plummeted from the ceiling and onto the table._Ow._ The draconequus underestimated how tired he was during his flight from Ponyville and decided to take a quick nap before talking to Celestia. Too bad he was mid flight when he decided to take said nap.

Celestia sighed in agitation, Discord's muzzle planted firmly in her cereal bowl. _Be careful what you wish for._Bubbles broke the surface of the milk, causing the wheat cereal to swirl around the surface. "Good morning Discord," Celestia commented offhandedly.

More bubbles.

Celestia noticed the draconequus appeared to be greyer, his brown fur and other colors faded. "You released the human." It wasn't a question.

A rapid succession of bubbles preceded the statement, Celestia waiting patiently for them to stop. Celestia said, rubbing a hoof to her now throbbing temple, "Discord what am I going to do with you?"

Discord replied. The juvenile response lost in Celestia's breakfast. Celestia released a chuckle, "I'm not mad at you. I'm just irritated you didn't tell me you oh-so-brilliant plan before hand. Now, how about you join me for breakfast and you can fill me in about what happened last night."

Bubbles broke the surface.

Celestia sighed, "Yes Discord, you can have the rest of my Cheerios."

0 0 0

Hours passed, Celestia's sun reaching the zenith of its arch. Big Mac sighed again, annoying the nurse that had replaced Redheart. Over six hours, Big Mac had waited. Six hours in this lobby of pale colors that smelled of sanitization. The air was dead, leaving Big Mac wishing he could be outside. Sure he took the occasional break to step outside and talk to a pony, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie occasionally dropping by to check up on him.

Sure he wanted to leave, but it wasn't the Apple way. _An Apple looks after any pony in need._ Big Mac parent's were always telling him that since he was a colt. Big Mac looked up in expectation, the sound of hooves echoing down the hallway. To his disappointment, it was only a nurse and his clipboard. _Darn._

Big Mac continued to sit in silence, the nurses here weren't the best of conversationalists and none of them knew a lick about farming so that throws that idea out the window. The clocked slowly ticked away, second by second. Minutes passed. Big Mac simply stared out the window at this warm beautiful day. The summer months were soon to end, fall was approaching. Oh the torture. To remain stuck in this cold dreary environment while the rest of Ponyville went about their day while worry filled his belly. It was mind numbing.

Hooves echoed down the long hallway, Big Mac continued to stare out the window in his stupor. Big Mac's ears flicked when the tired voice of Dr. Hoarse asked, "Mr. Apple?"

Turning towards Hoarse in his green scrubs, Big Mac noticed the dark bags under his eyes. "Eeyup, but most call me Big Mac."

Dr. Hoarse took the hoof Big Mac offered him, "Pleasure." Hoarse motioned for Big Mac to follow him, the workpony all too willing to leave the lobby. "Big Mac, would you by chance know anything about griffons?"

"Not much. Ah know what they look like and that's about it," Big Mac answered, never really choosing to study much into the Griffon Kingdom. Big Mac followed Dr. Hoarse down the hallway, taking a sharp right towards the children's wing. Big Mac eyes scanned over the small play area, colorful toys and small plastic tables littered the gated area. A few fillies and colts enjoyed their free time under the watchful gaze of the staff.

Dr. Hoarse entered the room at the end hallway, occupied by a single bed and bathroom. Standing next to the patient's bed was Mary Sue, her clipboard held in one hoof. Big Mac gulped, hospital never sat right with him especially seeing an injured pony connected to so many tubes and wires. The IV and heart monitor connected to the left arm. Lying on a bed that was way too big for him, the lone griffon looked more like a mummy than anything. Right arm, torso and back were heavily covered in bright white wrappings. His head was almost completely covered, leaving only his beak and eye open to the air. The right hind leg lay elevated on a soft pillow, covered in a hard plastic. What peeked Big Mac's curiosity was the white furred hoof opposite the bound limb. Dr. Hoarse motioned towards the hoof, "Not exactly a full griffon."

Dr. Hoarse took a moment, before stating, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "As of right now, he's stable. We fixed his leg, ribs and internal bleeding. Stitching his wounds was difficult because of the shear size of the wounds." Big Mac shuttered a little, the idea of a metal needle and sting pulling together torn flesh made his stomach churn. "We were able to reconstruct most of his face," Hoarse said, bitter at the results. Big Mac shook slightly, remembering clearly the before image. "But we couldn't save his eye." The stallion gagged mental image of an eye being removed with metal tools.

Big Mac licked his lips, his nerves beginning to show. "I don't want to sound rude Doc, but why are you telling me this? Isn't this supposed to be doctor patient confidential?"

Mary answered, "Because you're the closest thing to a guardian we have for this kid." Big Mac shot her a confused look. "After our conversation, I sent his profile directly to the Royal Guards stationed both here and in Canterlot. None reported any missing griffons matching his descriptions. The Griffon Embassy was also notified, but they have no information on his identity or of any known family." With some resignation, Mary looked into Big Mac's eyes, "As of right now, he has no name, no family and no anypony to turn too."

Big Mac had to think for a few moments. "So that means he doesn't have a home." Dr. Hoarse nodded. Big Mac turned back to the griffon, "What do ya want me to do?" Mary was implying something, the mare shifting her weight from right to left.

Hoarse rubbed the back of his mane in discomfort, Mary answering, "I was going to ask if you could sign as his guardian." _Wait, what?_ Big Mac stared blankly into the counselor's eyes. Mary continued, "I know it's a lot to ask of a pony, especially when a different species is concerned, but it's either you or we put him into the foster system. He's a minor. We need a pony to take responsibility for him until we find his family."

Big Mac felt the wind knocked out of his stomach. This was a big decision for him and his family. Applejack was head of the Apple Family household, but the rest of his family had a say in this matter. The decision was too big for him to make alone. "Ah, don't know. Ah don't know what the rest of the family would say."

Mary sighed tiredly, "You don't need to worry. I've already written up the paperwork for him to remain a liability of the state. All of his medical bills and any extra necessities will be covered by the FPS. You and your family won't have to worry about any financial difficulty." Big Mac shuffled uneasily. Mary pushed, "Look, Macintosh…" Mary paused for a second, "I know the idea is scary, but you and your family may be the best choice for him."

"Why?"

"Because most families will be terrified of bringing a griffon into their household," Mary stated with some distain. "Griffons are omnivorous. They require not only plants, but meat. Mainly their diet consists of fish. Having a griffon in a home of herbivores would be unnerving enough, but with tensions building in the Griffon Kingdom most foster families would turn away this little guy without hesitation."

Big Mac's brow furrowed deeply, remembering the newspapers mentioning the rising numbers of soldiers on the boarders of between Equestria, the Griffon Kingdom and the Dragon Territories. Tirek and his reign of destruction really unsettled the other powers of the world. Many leaders felt uneasy about the fact that the safety of their citizens were in the hooves of just six ponies.

Mary noticed the uneasiness in Big Mac eyes, "Your house is far enough from Ponyville, most of its citizens wouldn't be so worried about him being around and it'll be less likely for any prying eyes to invade his privacy."

It made sense to Big Mac, but that didn't make the situation any easier. Dr. Hoarse and Mary watched the big stallion's ears flipped back and forth several times in distress. "Ah don't wanna say me and mah family don't want him, it's just this is a big decision."

Mary cleared her throat, "Big Mac, it's either this or he'll have to go to the orphanage if we can't find a home for him here. And being that he may be a citizen from another country, he may have to be transferred to the orphanage in Canterlot to be in close proximity to the Embassy and Royal Courts." Mary Sue seemed appalled by what she said next, "He'll be stuck right in the center of a political hotspot with so many ponies not having the best of intentions for griffons for who knows how long. He's clearly not fully griffon or pony. Clear citizenship is unsure, meaning the courts may take months or over a year to decide who takes responsibility. The best option would be for him to have a single home to go to when he's ready to leave the hospital. Even if his citizenship is questioned and he has to be seen by the courts, he can live in a normal household while he recuperates. Right now the Royal Guards are waiting any further word from the Griffon embassy. They have a rightful claim to take custody of him. If they do, there's no telling where he would end up. A child suffering this kind of physical trauma doesn't need a big legal battle over his head. With you signing as his legal guardian, he'll at least have a safe and loving environment to live in."

_That's just not fair_, Big Mac thought, his heartstrings being plucked one after another. An orphan was bad enough, but thinking about this child being forced through that kind of ordeal made him feel ill inside. With a sigh, Big Mac answered, "I'll be his guardian."

Both doctor and counselor looked relieved, leading Big Mac out of the patient's room and into Miss Sue's office to fill out the proper paperwork.

0 0 0

_How am ah going to tell Applejack about this?_

Big Mac felt a twinge of guilt. Applejack would still be selling apples at this time since it was barely three in the afternoon. The red stallion did not look forward to the storm that was brewing. After being reassured by Dr. Hoarse that the patient was fine and he would be notified immediately when the child's condition changed, Big Mac made the slow trek towards Sweet Apple Acres. Thankfully, Big Mac was left alone to be with his thoughts.

It wasn't anyponies fault this happened, _Ok whatever did that to a young child was to blamed, but that's not the issue right now._ Big Mac thought about how to approach this with his sister, yes he could reason with her. But she would throw a tantrum for him just suddenly deciding to be the legal guardian of some unknown griffon without at least talking to her or Granny Smith. _She'd calm down… Eventually._ Macintosh decided that the best course of action was to talk to Granny Smith. The old mare would be more accepting towards his choice. Applejack's a good mare, she just tends to be critical about things. _It doesn't help me in the slighted that she's not on the best terms with griffons after that whole Gilda incident._

Big Mac smiled, passing through the gates to his home. The scent of apples and soil tickled at his nose. Here he was at peace. In his farm, he was in his element. Moving towards the red house that also acted as a barn, Big Mac pushed open the wooden door. The worn wood groaned under his weight as he moved into the household. The living room was decorated in western style furniture, a worn rocking chair and thin pink couch surrounded by varying family photos and decorative white plates. Towards the window sat a tall wooden china cabinet stocked with his great-granny's antique plates.

"Granny! Are ya home?" Big Mac called, his low voice booming out to all of the rooms in the Apple house.

"In the kitchen! I'm back'n some chocolate chip cookies!" The elderly green mare with the mark of an apple pie on her flank called from the adjourning room, pulling out a fresh tray of cookies from the oven. Entering the kitchen, Big Mac's mouth watered when the sweet smell of chocolate hit his snout. The rumbling in his stomach reminded the stallion of his missed lunch.

Unfortunately, Granny Smith also heard the call of the beast. Turning to look, Granny Smith asked, "Watcha doing home so early Big Mac?"

Big Mac answered, taking a seat at the table, "Ah had a bit of a problem this morning."

Granny Smith's eyebrow furrowed in worry, the stallion's slumped shoulders telling her he was worried about something. Closing the oven door, the smaller mare took a seat next to her grandson, "Why don'tcha tell me about it?"

Big Mac didn't even hesitate to recount his day. Granny Smith sat silently taking in the short story. When he finished, the two sat in silence.

As the silence continued to stretch, Big Mac started to second guess himself. _Maybe Granny Smith might not agree with me on this one._

Big Mac felt two thin forelegs wrap around his side, turning to see Granny Smith giving him a big hug. The embrace lasted for over a minute before the old mare finally broke off. Big Mac looked into his granny's beaming face, "Ah know it was a tough decision for ya, but I'm proud of ya Big Mac. Offering our home to a soul in need in the best kind of kindness anypony could offer." Big Mac's face lightened up, a small smile lifting his lips. Granny Smith had to be the best grandma he could ever ask for. The old mare made her way back to the oven, intent on finishing her work.

A little relieved, Big Mac made to the fridge, but stopped when Granny Smith said, "I'll be sure to help ya convince yur sister. Celestia knows she can be more stubborn than a mule."

0 0 0

"YA'LL DID WHAT NOW!"

_Ah wish she didn't have to raise the dead when she's angry._

After Applejack had returned home late in the afternoon, smug at the amount of apples she had sold today, the sun was already setting in the west. Big Mac and Granny had decided to break the news to Applejack after she had some grub in her. _Ya don't want to see Applejack angry on an empty stomach._

Dinner was consumed and the dishes were cleaned. All of the members of the Apple clan sat around the scratched brown wood of the dining table. Applejack, Big Mac, Granny Smith and Applebloom occupied opposite sides of the rectangle. Applejack was staring daggers at Big Mac, her older brother taking the blunt of her anger. Applebloom quivered in her seat. She never liked seeing Applejack when she's this upset.

The orange mare slammed her hoof into the table, the resounding smack startling Applebloom, "What gives ya the right to just open our home to some random griffon?"

"Now AJ-"

"Don't you now AJ ME!" Applejack snapped. "I know ya said he was injured and I'm fine with ya being concerned about his wellbeing. But when ya just open our door to somepony we don't have any knowledge of, that's when I put my hoof down!"

"But AJ-" Big Mac tried again to speak, but Applejack was having one of her moments.

"How do we know the lil' guy's any good? He could be a thief or worse? Maybe that was why he was left on the side of the road? He might be in deep with the wrong ponies? Ya know griffons are the violent type? Just look at the bully Gilda! Ya could be bringing harm to this family!" Applejack pointed out.

Granny Smith decided to intervene, the vein in Big Mac head starting to become visible. Big Mac may be gentle, but when his temper flaired there was cause for worry. "Applejack!" The orange mare turned to her senior, the fire in her eyes dimming at Granny Smith's disapproving glare. "Ah thought ah raised ya better than this. Ya know nothing bout this griffon and here ya'll are trying to justify slamming the door in his beak." Taking a deep steadying breath, Granny Smith continued, "Now ah know the thought of opening our home to a stranger isn't the best of ideas, but when it comes down to a child without a home… Well shoot, if'n we can't open our homes to a child in need then we don't deserve to call ourselves Apples."

Applejack's fire died down, her ears against her head. Granny Smith had always had a way with talking sense into a pony when they needed it, even if she sometimes doesn't make a lick of sense herself. Granny Smith continued, "Now Big Mac already explained the situation and ah don't want to hear any back sass from anypony. Got it?" Applejack nodded before casting her eyes towards the ground.

Applebloom raised a quivering hoof, Granny Smith turning to her, "What did ya need, sugarcube?"

Applebloom's squeak of a voice asked, "Does that mean we'll get a new family member? Like another brother, only with feathers?" Big Mac and Granny Smith couldn't help but chuckled. Appleboom was always full of sunshine and nopony could help but smile.

"Well sure thing squirt," Granny Smith grinned, "Just be sure not to overdo the welcome. An injured pony does need his rest." Applebloom nodded vigorously, her head becoming a blur. With that Granny Smith ended this family meeting, "Now off ta bed everypony. We've got ourselves an early morning tomorrow!"

Every member of the Apple family went to their separate rooms, some happier than others when the lights were turned off.


	3. Chapter 3

Time Lost

Ch. 3: I'm a Hippogriff! Get it right!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the rights related to MLP.

The following three days passed without much incident for Big Mac. The red stallion plowed the western fields and harvested the apples like any other day. The only difference, Applejack was quieter than normal. _She'll be fine. She just needs a couple of days._ Everyday, Big Mac took a quick trip to the hospital. Just to be safe. His brotherly duties were acting up and he was going to make sure he would be available when his-soon-to-be-legal-charge was awake.

Now this was nothing like when Applejack, Applebloom or Granny Smith were sick. Big Mac was able to rein his visits to two or three times a day as oppose to his usual eight to ten. _And no, ah am not being paranoid! Ah'm just being safe._

Noon rolled past, the members of Apple family taking a late lunch of apples and hay. Big Mac ate in silence, Applejack telling Granny and Appleboom she'll be out tonight with Rainbow Dash. Applebloom and the rest of her friends were going to have a sleepover tonight. _Please don't destroy the kitchen again._ Granny Smith said something about crocheting.

When all eyes turned to Big Mac, he shrugged, "Ah've got a card game with Caramel and some of the guys tonight."

0 0 0

**Beep. Beep. Beep.**

Waking up after three days of deep was difficult. A dulled pain filled each limb. Trapped he was, the inside of his mind filled with darkness. Oblivion met the sleeping hippogriff. Slowly, consciousness began to rise. First feeling, his body felt worn and twisted in this darkness.

Soon memories began to emerge. Images of faces he could not name, places of tall concrete buildings and dry landscapes. He was confused, stuck between unconsciousness and wakefulness. He could feel that he knew these places. _Why can't I remember the name?_ The veins in the young hippogriff's head pulsed, the brain trying to acquire information that just wasn't there. He remembered the basic everyday things, but not the specifics. Looking deeper, he was able to find some information. _I like video games, books and movies. Why is there a lot of Star Wars here? What is with that little yellow rat?_

The human pushed through the shallow stream of images. A short distance ahead, a single person was looking towards him. His sister, her with long flowing brunette hair and hazel eyes appeared before his vision. She wore a simple blue shirt and jeans.

Her lips moved, but no sound reached his ears.

His heart felt a stab of pain when he felt his connection to her, but he could not name her. She looked pleadingly towards him. For what, he did not know. His mind was clouded, thoughts thick and sluggish. _Why can't I remember her name?_ Tension developed behind his eyes, trying to push past the heavy fog into any memory of her name.

She beckoned him to follow. He followed deeper into the darkness of his mind, a feeling of dread rising in his stomach. The hippogriff's body tensed in apprehension when a large home came into view.

The front half of the house toppled inwards, leaving a large hole where the entryway use to be. The torn grey walls on the outside and black roof were torn. Windows shattered, leaving sharp teeth in their stills. He flinched at the sight, _I know this house_. He hadn't lived here in it for over a year.

Something very wrong happened in this house. Moving through the makeshift entrance, the once pristine white walls were scorched by fire. Chunks of stucco, wood, a shattered door and glass littered the white tiled floors. Soundlessly, his sister moved through the destroyed home.

He moved slowly into the house, his inside feeling cold and shaking. The hippogriff's body trembled, sweat developing on his brow. The apparitions of his sister could not be seen, turning into the main room. Ice gripped his heart, looking at the spider web of cracks running up and down both sides of the archway. He did not know what was in that room, but it felt bad.

He could easily walk away, to turn and leave. But he had to know. Something inside the house was calling to him, it whispered to him. This was important to him. The ice in his heart held him at bay.

Finally, he moved into the room as the need to know overcame his fear. The once clean sofa, television and flooring were destroyed. The man's eyes were not on the walls, but on the floor. Three bodies lay in a crusting pool of their own blood.

The heart monitor skyrocketed, the hippogriff's heart pumping madly in his chest.

He remembered this. He remembered jumping from the humvee before racing towards his family, a rescue mission for any survivors in the small town of his birth. There, he discovered their fate.

He wanted to throw up, remembering the three mutilated bodies. Hot tears rolled down the right side of his face. The hippogriff's body wretched at the memory, bile filling his beak. A pink nurse rushed into the room, seeing the thrashing hippogriff. With ease, she gently placed pressure on the hippogriff's shoulders to hold him down.

The world turned black, the man could only hear one sound. Laughter. The laughter he knew too well. It was from the sycophant who did this. The mad laughter rose and fell, echoing in the hippogriff's head. The hippogriff's body shuddered to try and shake the sickening feeling. In the darkness he tried to block out the sound, a more recent memory playing.

The fight he lost.

The haunting laughter continued to ring in his worn mind. _Stop!_ The man screamed in his head. The sound only intensified, becoming a maddening chorus. The sound was everywhere. He could not block it out. The laughter continued to grow. It was too much.

Out of nowhere, all sound was cut off. The man sighed with relief.

A small snickering was behind him. He knew who it was, but did not want to look. With great apprehension, the human turned around.

A single pair of bright yellow eyes, with mismatched red irises filled his vision.

"Hi."

"AW!" The hippogriff head jolted up, sweat flying from his feathered brow. Bad move on his part. His stomach and ribs brought sharp pain to his small body when he tried to fight against the nurse's hooves. Leaning his head back on his pillar, the hippogriff groaned in pain. Opening his eyes, the hippogriff could only see blurring shades of blue, white and pink while half of his vision was pitch black. _What's wrong with my eyes?_

"Are you alright?" a worried voice asked. Seeing the hippogriff calm down, the nurse removed her hooves from the small body.

The hippogriff tried to rub both of his eyes, but stopped when he felt the soft wrappings. Gingerly prodding, the hippogriff slowly felt around his bindings becoming more worried as his hands explored his head. The heart machine began to increase alongside his pulse. _Where are my ears? What the hell is this?_ The hipporgriff thought, his long slender talons gently outlined the hard yellow beak.

**Poke! Poke! Poke!**

_That's definitely real_, the terrified thought penetrated the hippogriff's thick skull. The hippogriff froze, unable to compute from this realization. _I have a beak_. The thought still did not register in his head as real or possible, but the evidence was all too damning. _I have a beak_. Still did not feel any better. Anger and confusion rose up inside the young body, _Why do I have a beak?_

The hippogriff closed his eye tight, hands rubbing his temples. His head felt like it was on fire, temples pounding. "Take a deep breath," the nurse said, rubbing the hippogriff's back to calm him down. Taking her advice, the hippogriff took a shallow breath. His ribs twitching in pain before his lungs could expand fully.

The hippogriff felt the large round object rubbing along his back gently trying to comfort him, but not hard enough to cause any pain to the stitches back there. _Jesus! What the hell is that? It's huge!_ "How are you feeling little one?" the sweet voice asked.

The former human took a moment before answering, considering where he was; listening to the beeping of the heart monitor, the hard metal needle sticking in his left arm, the smell of sanitizer. _Heart monitor, hard as hell bed, sharp needle in my arm… I think it's safe to say I'm in a hospital and whoever this is is most likely a nurse. But 'little one,' what's that suppose to mean?_

Taking a deep breath, trying to maintain any coherent thoughts through the pain in his head, the hippogriff answered, "M-my head hurts." _WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY VOICE? IT'S LIKE A FREAKIN SQUEAK BOX!_The hippogriff yelped in surprise, his voice sounding like it belonged to a eight-year-old child and not a full grown man.

Taking this as a sign of pain, the nurse said, "Don't worry, Dr. Hoarse will make you feel all better." _I swear to Buddha I will punch this chick for treating me like a kid._

Opening his eye again, the hippogriff turned towards the blurred body. Which was surprisingly pink,_ WTF_. Squinting, the hippogriff could just barely make out a pink coat, white hair, long ears and a freaking huge head.

The Nurse saw the patient turn to her with deep warm amber eye, but they were eye red and unfocused. She felt a cold shiver run down her sides, she didn't like the way he looked at her. The hippogriff stared at her with a mixture of shock and confusion with just a hint of horror. Rubbing his eye, the hippogriff was finally able to focus on the mare. The first thing he notices was her coat, he could just make out each individual hair. _Her fur was like fur!_ Shaking his head to clear it, _I blame the drugs._

Silence ran between them, the hippogriff rubbing his eye a few times. "Um, Nurse?"

"Yes, dear?" she asked, trying to be as comforting as possible. Instead the hippogriff thought her smile was kinda creepy. _Her eyes are just way to huge!_

"Where am I?"

The Nurse smiled, "You're in Ponyville Hospital."

_I-I have nothing to say to that._

The hippogriff asked, "And that would be where?"

"Ponyville."

_Don't ask any questions. Just let it sink in and don't insult them._ The hippogriff could only rub his aching temple, this was not helping his headache. "I meant country?"

"Equestria," Nurse-what's-her-name supplied. _I get the distinct impression the I'm in for a whole lot of pony related sh*t when I get out of here._ The nurse stood in front of the hippogriff, his expression changing from confused to annoyed. The nurse decided to take charge of the situation, saying, "Now I want you to be a good little colt and wait while I get the doctor. Will you be alright without me?"

_What do I look like a freaking child? Oh, wait. I do sound like a munchkin, so I should try not to be too surprised._

The hippogriff asked, looking up with his big gold eye, "Could I have a glass of water?"

The Nurse felt her heart melt, looking into that innocent and partially covered face. "Oh, of course you can sweaty." The pony procured a glass from the bedside table, filling it with water from the faucet.

"Thank you," the hippogriff took the glass in his thin yellow talons. _Ok, so I have a beak and talons. I'm some sort of bird. Oh goodie_, he thought with distain.

The pink pony left the hippogriff with a final smile. _Stop smiling! It's creepy!_ The hippogriff decided to take a sip of the cooled liquid. The water helped clear his mind. The hippogriff's eye scanned the room. The only furniture aside from the bed was a single bedside table of white metal. Continuing to drink, the human decided he needed to get a better look at himself.

_. . ._

_…_

_…_

_Okay._

The hippogriff shook his head, looking in horror at his feathery plumage from in between the bandages to the blue fur and hooves. _Wait I know where this is from. Let's see… It's from. Froooooommmmm, Harry Potter. That's got to be it. What were they called? Bird and horse? Hippogriffs? I'm gonna go with that. I am a small hippogriff!_ Something seemed to stall in his brain, his normal human visage was now a young mythical beast._That doesn't make me feel better. That makes me feel worse. Why!_ The hippogriff's mind continued to wonder,_Since I can feel the pain, even the hampering of these drugs can be accounted for as actually happening. So this is real. This is REAL._

The sound of hooves failed to breach the former human in his mental ramblings. "So how is our mystery patient?"

Knocking the hippogriff out of his reveries, he offered a hasty reply, "You mean me right?"

Dr. Hoarse smirked, moving to the patient's bedside, "Yep, that's you my fine feather friend." _Tonight on To Catch a predator!_ "I'm Dr. Hoarse, I'm the primary care physician for griffons in Ponyville." Dr. Hoarse's horn glowed a light blue, scanning over the hippogriff's body. _I feel like I should have an adult for this_. Dr. Hoarse noticed the hippogriff's uncomfortable looks. "Are you alright?" he asked, reaching up with his hoof to feel the warm forehead, noting the slight fever.

The hippogriff answered, "I'm just not use to being scanned."

Hoarse tried to be comforting, "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm just using some magic to check your vital organs." _How is that suppose to make me feel better?_ The unicorn levitated a small pen light, shining into the single eye. Satisfied with the iris's reaction, Dr. Hoarse took a moment before asking, "How are you feeling?"

The hippogriff blinked several times, because he was just blinded by a freaking flashlight, "Hanging in there."

Dr. Hoarse nodded, watching the child's expression for any indication of his health. "Do you know where you are?"

"The nurse said Ponyville, in Equestria." _Repeating the name does not help with accepting it._

_Good, short term memory seems to be good. Now let's try the long term._ "Can you tell me your name?"

"I'm hck," the child stuttered. "My name is… Uh." The hippogriff scrapped his memories, only to find some blurred images and random facts he had no care for._Where is it? Where's my name? I know it's in here, this is my head! My name should be attached somewhere._ The hippogriff closed his eye, _I'm gonna close my eyes and my name will come to me. Just need to calm down._ Taking a deep breath, the hippogriff open his eye. _Alright my name is… Where the hell is it?! Oh come on! I lose my body, my age, my macho manly voice and now my name. NO!_ The hippogriff cupped his head in his hands, his headache growing from inconvenience to blazing inferno. The human pushed his mental capacity to the limits, straining something he would probably need later. The hippogriff's breathing increased drastically as he attempted to wrench the name from his scattered mind.

Dr. Hoarse watched as the hippogriff's expression changed from guarded, to annoyed, then into frustrating pain. Hoarse was surprised, seeing the hippogriff whimper in pain and sadness. Losing his name. Losing those few letters that made his identity. Without it, who was he? What would he be called? What would happen to him? The hippogriff could not help but feel so lost, the world no longer made sense. Magic. Ponies. Hippogriffs. He could not begin to fathom this reality, his head hurt so much. All he wanted to do was rest, to heal his wounds. But he dared not try right now. Now he needed to be awake, he needed to get as much info on this world as possible.

Putting a hoof on the child's shoulder, "Calm down. Everything's going to be alright. Take a deep breath." The hippogriff obliged, falling back on the doctor's warm words. It was easier to listen. The hippogriff took several steadying breaths, trying to regain control of his emotions. The hippogriff finished off his water, it helped a little. Not by much though. Hoarse offered him a kind smile, "Feel better?"

"A little," the hippogriff answered, looking down at the glass between his talons.

Dr. Hoarse asked, levitating the chart at the end of the bed towards him, "Can you tell me what happened to you?" Marking a few notes, Dr. Hoarse waited patiently.

_What should I tell him? Hey, I'm a human and you're a fictional character. No-no, that won't do. I don't want to lie to him either. He may get suspicious. I guess I'll meet him halfway._ The hippogriff took a moment before answering, "I was attacked by something." The hippogriff had no words for the monster that killed so many of his friends and he had no inclination to talk about it.

"What was it?"

"I-I don't know," the hippogriff confessed. "It was fast and brutal," looking up at the doctor, he continued, "I remember it had big yellow eyes."

Hoarse scribbled away on the notes sections, taking every detail he could. "Do you remember your family? Where were you parents when you were attacked?"

Hoarse felt a stab in his heart, the child in front of him sniffing sadly, "They're dead."

"H-how do you know that?" Hoarse asked, unsure of the hippogriff's memory was to be trusted.

The hippogriff let a single tear roll down his cheek, "I remember their bodies. My mom. My dad. My-my…" He didn't want to finish that sentence. He didn't want to remember that dream. He could try and dismiss it as such, but his gut told him otherwise.

Hoarse gently tried to comfort the hippogriff, the feathered features furrowing in anguish. _Just calm down and breath. Let's just take this one step at a time._ Hoarse waited a few moments for the child to compose himself. Hoarse looked into the hippogriff's face, "Are you going to be alright?"

The feather head nodded a few times. Dr. Hoarse said, "Now I know you're confused and worried-" Understatement of the millennium. "but I need to you to talk to the Foal Protective Services Councilor." _Crap. It's official! I'm a child now! I mean I may have one day wished to be child again, but not in a mythical creature's body. This is just weird._

Dr. Hoarse left the room, but not before shooting one last minute sympathetic look to the hippogriff.

Once again alone, the former human just sat their numb to the world around him. Seconds passed turning into minutes, time flowing different in his perception. The human could no longer feel at home in his body. A thick blanket of drugs pushed against his waking mind, but he could feel the constant throb of pain from his right arm, broken leg, along with the constant twinge that came with each breath. Not to mention the other cuts he had to deal with.

A new problem began to reveal itself. I have to use the bathroom. Leaning over to the side, the hippogriff felt incredibly small. It was a long way down to the floor. A rational person would call the nurse for assistance, but that's just awkward. 'Hey nurse! Can you help me take a leak?' The hippogriff decided to just wing it, _No pun intended._

Sliding to the edge, the hippogriff ignored the pins and needles running up and down his legs. The hippogriff rolled his legs over the side, his hooves hovering several inches above the tiled floor. A sharp pinch in his left arm brought him to the realization he had made a major error. The IV was still in his arm. _This won't end well._

**Scccrrrr.**

The hippogriff's nails slid across the plastic mattress, gravity pulling him down with the fabric tearing under his talons. _Crap._ Falling on his rump, the hippogriff hissed in pain. Not from the pain in his bum, but the sharp needle pain left by the IV being forcibly torn from his arm along with the heart monitor. Blood seeped from the crook of his arm, _Not my most brilliant idea_. Picking himself off the ground, the hippogriff made his way to the bathroom.

The nurse running the children's ward burst into the room, her heart racing. The heart monitor blared loudly, the bed suffered severe damage. Her heart stopped when she spotted the droplets of crimson. _Oh no! We have a patient on the loose!_ Before she could become full blown panic, the light spilling from under the closed bathroom door caught her attention.

Equestrian were weird. They were like a sunken hole in the floor. _Curse my American upbringing! How do you use these things? It's just a hole._ To make a long story short, the human used his two brain cells to figure it out. Just go in the hole. After finishing and washing his talons, the hippogriff took a few extra seconds to clean his left arm of blood. _I have more respect for woman. Seriously, with fur you just have to clean after doing the business. Worse part, I have freaking claws. That's just a problem waiting to happen! Sharp objects + junk = sad male._

Opening the door, a very concerned pink muzzle shoved itself into his beak. _Personal space, please!_ "What do you think you are doing, young colt?" The nurse ground out from her clenched teeth glaring at him with her large purple eyes, consuming his soul like a blood hungry succubus.

_Oh, she is mad! Quickly, look sad! No nurse can resist a sad, injured child. Right?_

Looking up into her eyes, the hippogriff frowned as hard as he could with the light reflecting off his deep amber iris, "I'm sorry nurse. I didn't want to bother anyone."

Her heart melted, sweeping him into her big strong forelegs without crushing his puny bird-bones. "It's alright deary, you just gave me a scare. Now let's get you back to your bed for Dr. Hoarse." _What is she made out of?_Stronger than steel, the earth pony's arms held onto him to make sure he didn't escape again.

The nurse waited patiently for Dr. Hoarse and Mary to arrive, her deep purple eyes watching the hippogriff twiddle his thumbs in silence. But she did grab him a second glass of water when requested, _So this nurse isn't that bad._ Truth be told, under that cute cartoon like exterior this nurse could crush his bones without much difficulty. That fact kinda scared the hippogriff, not that he was afraid or anything. _It's just the drugs talking_.

Mary moved next to the child offering him a kind smile, "Hello, I'm Councilor Mary Sue." _Gee, what an original name? Tell me, do you have mystical powers to fix all my problems?_

"Nice to meet you," the hippogriff offered his left hand, the right feeling stiff under the bandages.

Mary smiled at the response, He seems nice enough. "I was wondering if we could talk for just a few moments."

"Sure."

Pulling out her clipboard, Mary said, "Dr. Hoarse told me you were attacked and have little memories about what happened." The hippogriff nodded, Mary scribbled something on her paper. Words like 'amnesia' and 'mental trauma.' _If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was talking to me._ "Could you tell me a little about yourself?" the councilor pushed.

"Well," the hippogriff scratched his chin, "I lived in a small mountain town somewhere in the desert. Had a family and that's about it."

"That's it?"

"I like to read and play video games if that counts," the hippogriff answered sheepishly.

Mary chuckled under her breath, A real comedian here. "Is there anything else you can share with us?"

The yellow beak opened to respond, but a loud rumbling from his stomach notified the room of its presence. Now that he thought about it, his stomach felt like a black hole eating away at him. _I am starved. How long has it been since I've had a decent meal?_ "I was wondering, how long have I been here?"

"You've been out for three days," Dr. Hoarse provided.

"THREE DAYS!" The hippogriff squawked in horror.

The pair tried to comfort, but the hippogriff held up his talon palm forward to hold them off. Taking a moment to breathe, he said, "I'm fine. I'm fine. I was caught by surprise."

Mary turned to Dr. Hoarse, "Are there any test that you need to run?"

Dr. Hoarse shook his head, "No, we tested his blood this morning. The magic from before has dissipated." Leaning closer, the unicorn whispered, "But I did talk to one of the griffin physicians in Canterlot. The Embassy has no plans for him as of this moment, but he did inform me that I need to remove him from the pain killers in his IV." Mary shot him a confused look, "He said that a griffon's system is delicate as a child and long term exposure to pain killers can affect his mental stability, throwing off necessary hormones in the brain."

"You mean hippogriff."

The pair jumped as the hippogriff corrected them. "Hippo-what?" Hoarse asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Hippogriff," was the stark reply. "I'm a hippogriff, not a griffon." _Duh._

"Okay."

Mary smiled back at the hippogriff, "Dr. Hoarse and I are going to step outside for a moment. Are you going to be fine by yourself?"

"Yes." It's not like I've got anywhere better to be.

The pair stepped into the hallway, making sure to move away from the entrance. Mary asked, "What's your opinion? "

Hoarse took a moment, "He's healthy as far as I can tell. He won't be able to walk properly for a few weeks until the caste comes off, but his wounds will heal in time. Luckily, his feathers will cover quite a few of the scars on his body. But the mind is a whole other area. For the body, I can say he's going to have a rough few days ahead of him."

Mary hummed, thinking to herself, "So far he seems mellowed, even polite. What do you mean, the next few days?"

"Surgery is never an easy thing. Some ponies have a better time than others as the drugs pass through their systems. I won't be able to tell until after that happens," Dr. Hoarse explained.

"So what do you think should happen?"

Hoarse took a moment to think, "I'm not sure. His body needs rest, but he is sound enough to leave."

Mary sighed, "I don't see why not. I'll have to go over the situation with both him and Big Mac. Will he need any medication?"

"Anti-inflammatory," Hoarse answered. "I got the prescription from my contact at the embassy. After that, only aspirin for the pain. Is that a good idea?"

Mary thought for a moment, "I think so. Being stuck in an unknown hospital isn't going to help a lost and confused colt. You said he has no family. The best thing to do is get him in a comfortable environment. There he can rest in safety."

Dr. Hoarse took a moment to think, "Alright. If anything happens he can always come back for a visit. But Big Mac will require a few items and instructions."

Mary nodded, "I'll go and break the news to him."

As Mary turned away, Hoarse added, "Be sure he gets a name. I think Big Mac would like to call him by something other than 'him.'"

Mary entered the room, the hippogriff reclining against the pillow with his eye closed. Hearing the hooves move closer, the amber eye opened to see Mary. Mary smiled, "I have some good news for you!" _And here's my nightmare fuel for the next week._ "Now, I want you to be a good boy and listen. Ok?" I will if you look away. Mary explained, "You'll be able to leave the hospital today." _Yeah!_ "A pony name Macintosh Apple will be your legal guardian and you will be staying with him and his family." _That's just redundant, putting the name of an apple in front of the word apple._ "Before Macintosh arrives, you are going to need a name. Any ideas?"

_Oh, crap._

_A name would be useful. Let's see…_

_Kenneth… No_

_Joe… No_

_Nicholas… Too Christmassy._

_Anytime now brain._

_Jesus… Hilarious, but no._

_Rob… No._

_Christine… That's a woman's name._

_Just stop over thinking things. How about we just go with the first name that comes to mind? Just pick any random name in my head and we'll call it good. I had better be a good name. Something awesome. Got it!_

Mary waited for the child to think, his brow furrowed. Until he finally spoke, a single name. "Luke Skywalker?"

**Bang! Bang! Bang!**

This was the sound of the human's brains bashing itself against the wall of his head. He could have picked a great name: like Alexander, Gabriel, Jeff Bridges, but nope he had to dive into his love for Star Wars. _I should have gone with Han Solo. That would have been an awesome name._

"That's-" Mary began to say. _Stupid, weird, love it? Why do you do this to me brain?_ "A very unique name," she finished with a smile before writing it down. _That was nice of her to say._

"Well then Luke," Mary beamed at him, "let's get you ready to meet your new family."

Deciding to go along with it, Luke pumped his right fist into the air, "Yeah. Ow!" Mary rolled her eyes, taking time to talk to Luke about life in Ponyville and the family he would be staying with.

0 0 0

Big Mac approached the hospital, his mind wondering about the day. Entering that thick wooden door, shivering as his body was washed over by the unnatural cold air. "Big Mac," the receptionist greeted the red stallion with a smile.

"Howdy."

Big Mac stepped up to the desk, the reception looking happier than usual to see him. "I've been notified that Dr. Hoarse and Mary want to speak to you. It's about the patient. Just follow me to Mary's office."

_That doesn't sound good._ Mac followed in silence, worry seeping into his gut. When they reached the dark wooden door with a bronze placard, Big Mac was surprised to find the two wearing smiles as they prepared a large fabric bag. Looking up, Mary greeted Big Mac, "Hello."

Big Mac nodded, entering the small office. The only furniture in the room was a large desk, black office chair and a worn bookshelf lining the wall filled to the brim with volumes of large leather bound books. Mary seemed overly excited today. Almost tap dancing where she stood. _Ah wonder what it is._

Mary announced, "Big Mac, the hippogriff you brought in is awake and ready to leave."

"Hippo-what?"

Hoarse rolled his eyes, "Apparently he's species are called hippogriffs." _That sounds ridiculous._

Big Mac raised an eyebrow, "What's all this stuff?" Mac's cream colored hoof motioned towards the bag.

"These," Dr. Hoarse explained, "are just some provisions. We have some ibuprofen, children's aspirin, hydrogen peroxide, lots and lots of bandage wrappings, a toothbrush, and a large carton of saline salt."

"Saline salt?" Big Mac scratched his head. "What's that for?"

Dr. Hoarse explained, "These are to be used when he takes a bath. The solution will help keep the stitches clean. And don't worry about his caste. It's spelled to be waterproof." _Good to know._

Mary Sue decided to take the lead, "Now I have a few things we need to go through before you take him to your farm."

"Kay."

"First, he goes by the name Luke Skywalker," Mary Sue said, Big Mac raising an eyebrow at the name. The two professionals quickly went over what was to expected for the next couple of days and Luke's memory loss.

0 0 0

_Well, that was interesting._

Luke thought as the pink nurse pony took away his plate of hay-fries, offering her a quick, "Thank you." Never, in the history of the world would Luke have ever though he would ever eat hay. That just came out of the blue. Dr. Hoarse and Mary left then suddenly the nurse was bringing him food. The nurse revealed a pristine white plate featuring a large pile of fried hay with ketchup on the side. _What the hell?_

As it turns out, hay fries were delicious. _They're like McDonald's fries, but a whole lot healthier and far more satisfying. This has got to be the healthiest junk food I have ever tasted! Tis the snack food of the gods!_

Luke sat silently closing his eye, his stomach content. Lazily, he mind drifted into the realm of bliss. _Whether it's the world being crazy or just me… I have no choice in the mater. I guess I'll just have to take it one step at a time._

**Zzzzz**

**Zzzz**

Dr. Hoarse and Big Mac walked into Luke's room, Luke's supplies balanced on his lower back. The pair noticed the single patient lying soundly on the bed, almost curled into a ball. Dr. Hoarse smirked, clearing his throat to wake the sleeping youth.

"W-what happened? Did I miss anything?" Luke awake with surprise, blinking rapidly to see the two stallions in the doorway.

Dr. Hoarse chuckled, "Not much. Did you have a nice nap?"

Luke brushed the comment off, "I wasn't sleeping. I was just closing my eyes to contemplate the mysteries of the universe."

Snickering Dr. Hoarse moved into the room to stand next to the bedpost. Big Mac followed closely, smiling at the little hippogriff. "Luke, this is Macintosh Apple. Big Mac, this is Luke Skywalker." _Jedi Knight and friend to Captain Solo. Why? Because Star Wars reference, that's why._

"Nice to meet you," Luke held out his hand to the big pony. _My god, he's huge!_ Luke felt very small looking up at the farm pony. Going by how he's barely half the size of the average pony, Luke felt like a Chihuahua standing next to a Doberman.

"Likewise," Big Mac offered his hoof, seeing the unsteady gaze. That big round orb looked up at him with some uncertainty.

Dr. Hoarse broke up the awkward moment, "Ready to go?"

"Yes!" Luke answered, standing on all fours. Luke winced, any rational thinking person would assume not to put weight on a broken leg.

Big Mac moved his alongside the bed, motioning with his head, "Jump on."

"Wait, what?" Luke looked at Big Mac with some confusion.

Big Mac chuckled, Luke looking at him dumfounded. "We have a long trip to Sweet Apple Acres. We'll want to make it there before sunset, so ah'll carry ya." Looking towards the window, the sun was almost touching the mountains.

"Um, okay. If you don't mind," Luke responded sheepishly. _This is going to be awkward. I've never ridden a horse before. No, wait. They're not horses. They're smaller. Ponies? Sure, I'm going to go with ponies._

0 0 0

_I'm the king of the world!_

From atop Big Mac's shoulders, Luke's head quested from side to side above the heads of all other ponies. Both of his arms were not even close to wrapping halfway around the stallion's neck. It felt great to be out of that hospital. The town was absolutely colorful, like a child had gotten into one of those giant boxes of crayons and went crazy. The streets were still busy with ponies running last minute errands.

_So you've got Pegasus, unicorns and regular ponies? That's kewl._

Big Mac moved through the streets with ease, moving towards a select tan house. Mac's hooves bashed against the door, rattling the hinges. _Big Mac smash tiny door._ Luke thought hearing the heavy hoof make contact.

Time passed, the pair waiting patiently. A tan colored pony with a brown mane opened the door, surprising to see the pair in front of him, "Hi-ya Big Mac. How's it going?"

Big Mac shrugged, "Pretty good, I was wondering if you can let the others know I won't be able to make it to the card game this afternoon."

"Oh," Caramel's ears flattened, "How come?"

Big Mac motioned with his head to Luke, the hippogriff watching the pair with mild interest. "I've got to get this guy settled in."

_Oh come on! Now you're making me feel like a jerk._ Luke's gut punched itself for ruining this guys evening. He may have just met Big Mac, but that didn't mean he wanted to screw over the farm pony's free time.

Caramel nodded in understanding, "Sure, I'll let the guys know. There's always next Friday after all."

"Eeyup," Big Mac answered with a smile.

After a quick goodbye, Big Mac and company made their way to the farm. Silence falling over the two, Luke looking at the ground thinking deeply. _That sucks, I didn't want to impose on Big Mac. Maybe I should apologize_. "Um, Mr. Big Mac?" Luke began, realizing just how much he sounded like an eight year old child.

"Hm?"

"Sorry about ruining your day," Luke offering a sincere apology.

"That's alright," Big Mac smiled, turning his head to look at the hippogriff. "Caramel and the rest of the guys have been mah friends for years, they'll understand." Well, that's a relief.

The town gave way to trees, and then Luke saw it. The hippogriff's jaw dropped at the sight of it, thousands of trees littered the farmland. Big Mac chuckled, hearing the gasp of shear surprise. Luke had never seen a farm this huge before, apple trees grew tall and plentiful, bursting with red fruit. The dirt grounded under Big Mac's hooves, the stallion making his way to the house. Luke's amber eye took in all of the sights; _the barn, the pig pens (What would a pony need with pigs?), and the shear open space of their land._

Luke analyzed the house as they approached. At least two stories, the home looked very inviting with the white trim and patio attached to the red barn. Luke felt a twinge of unease. He was just about to enter another person's home and be in their care. It felt unnerving. To have been an adult and was now forced to play a child again. _Just because I'm a child does not mean I have to act like one. Before we enter, let's make some rules:_

_#1. Be polite. Mama did always said 'kill them with kindness'. Or did she? Who said that? Now I want to know who said that. Argh!_

_#2. Don't talk about human stuff, because then they'll think you're crazy._

_#3. Uh._

_#4. Don't talk about the Game. Because if I talk about the Game then I will lose the game and I realized that I am thinking about talking about the Game. Therefore I have just lost the Game._

Big Mac pushed open the door to reveal quite the surprise. Colorful confetti burst from the open door, catching the two full in the face. Luke brushed the colorful papers from his face to find the most horrible sight possible, a pair of bright blue eyes filling his vision attached to a pink face. _I think I peed a little._

Pinkie Pie continued to stare into the hippogriff's eye atop Big Mac's head, that amber orb shocked at her sudden appearance. Big Mac gently brushed away the colorful paper, the surprisingly light weight on his head to be surprisingly light. Luke was captivated by those bright blues, _What is with these eyes?_ Luke shivered in fear as the pony continued to look deep into his eye. After a minute those eyes stared at him and they didn't blink once. _Stop staring at me evil pink demon! What do you want from me? Stop looking into my soul! Be gone foul creature!_

"Hi!" the pink pony said her smile so huge it would make the Joker scream in fear. What preceded this charming greeting is still unknown to science. Science even has a restraining order on Pinkie Pie because of what she does. Words seemed to vomit out of the pony's mouth like lava. Every word spit out in a single breath, "I am so excited to see you! I couldn't see you before because all the nurses wouldn't let me wake you up. But that's ookie dokkie because we can talk now! What's your favorite color? Do you like parties? I love parties! I throw the bestest parties in all of Ponyville! I was going to throw you a party, but Twilight said I needed to wait until you were all better. Don't worry, when you up and moving we'll have the BEST WELCOME TO PONYVILLE PARTY EVA'!"

Big Mac turned around, finding Pinkie Pie twisting herself in some physics defying way to continue to look at Luke. Luke's expression was quite the contrast to Pinkie Pie's smile, his expression was so shocked and horrified that Big Mac felt his face would implode._ I'm in hell. That the only logical conclusion. This is my punishment for hiding my sister's car keys for her prom date._

"Miss Pie?" Pinkie Pie jumped from Big Mac's head to stand in front of him, her whole body shaking in excitement.

"Yes?" she sang.

Big Mac took a deep breath, "Ah think it would best we tone down the excitement. He just got outta the hospital after all."

Pinkie Pie nodded solemnly, "I understand. I'll try again later."

"Much obliged," Big Mac smiled. Glad to see the party pony understood that now was not the best time to get crazy.

Pinkie Pie turned to leave, but remembered, "I brought some cupcakes over for you, Applebloom and her friends. Make sure Luke gets one. Also," Pinkie Pie turned to the frozen hippogriff, "May the force be with you, young Skywalker." With that Pinkie Pie closed the door in front of Big Mac.

_But this is mah house._ Big Mac opened the door a second time, finding no Pinkie Pie. In the center of the living room, the CMC sat among a pile of papers and crayons looking up in confusion. Granny Smith snored in her rocking chair, unaware of the events happening around her. Shaking the headache beginning to brew in his head, Big Mac gently entered the aged living room, depositing Luke next to the three fillies.

Appleblood was in front of Luke in a flash, the hippogriff's mind stuck between first and second gear. "Is this him? Is this HIM?" Applebloom bounced up and down in rapid succession losing all memory of Pinkie Pie's uh- Pinkiness.

"Eeyup," Big Mac smiled heading up stair to drop of Luke's bag, "Just don't be too rough on the pony."

"As if we ever get too rough," Scootaloo scoffed, looking the hippogriff up and down.

"Says the pony who wanted to get her cutie mark in crocodile wrestling," Sweetie Bell chimed in moving next to Luke. The hippogriff remained impassive, nonresponsive to her. Waving a hoof in front of his face, Sweetie Bell's brow furrowed in concern, "I think Pinkie Pie broke him."

Applebloom slowly prodded Luke's shoulder, the physical touch bringing him halfway to reality. "How did she know my name?"

Scootaloo answered, "Don't worry about it. She's Pinkie Pie, best not to question it." _So she's like the Force? If you try to explain it, no one understands it._

Luke rubbed his aching temples, looking around the western style family room, an old green mare snoring in her rocking chair and the three beaming faces; a yellow earth pony with a pink bow, a white unicorn with curling purple hair and a orange Pegasus with a roughed up mane. They were so small and just so adorable with their big eyes. _I don't know how I will do it, but I must get pony snuggles somewhere along the way._ Luke decided to address the three in front of him, "So, what are your names? I'm Luke Skywalker." _I think I just died a little inside._

"I'm Applebloom!"

"I'm Sweetie Bell!"

"I'm Scootaloo!"

The three jumped into a poorly practiced pyramid, shouting "And we are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" The three tumbled to the ground in a pile of giggles. Big Mac re-entered the living room, Granny snapping awake from the fillies resulting _Thump!_

"What in the name of sweet Celestia's sugary coated beard is going on?"

The three fillies' giggles increased tenfold, Luke's heart almost melting. He couldn't help but grin like an idiot._That is just too cute for words._ The mare turned towards the group, her eyes falling on Luke, "Well hello there squirt!" I'm not that small. The mare jumped to her hooves, showing a surprising amount of agility when she approached Luke. Luke couldn't help but think of this mare as one of those kooky grandmas that everybody loved, with her walking cane and tight hair bun. I wonder what my grandma was like?

"It's nice ta finally meet ya, I'm Granny Smith," she offered Luke a lime green hoof to shake.

"Pleasure to meet you ma'am," Luke's beak spouted, taking the hoof in his talons.

"Ah, such a gentlecolt," Granny Smith smiled, looking to Applebloom and her friends as they untangled themselves. Granny Smith decided to head to the kitchen, "Now you four don't git into trouble. I'm gonna go start some dinner."

Big Mac watched silently from the stairway, Applebloom asking as she caught sight of Luke's hooves, "What kinda griffon are ya? I ain't ever seen a griffon with hooves before."

"That because I'm a hippogriff," Luke responded warmly.

"What's a hippogriff?" Scootaloo asked, scratching her head.

"I'm a hippogriff."

Big Mac chuckled. Luke appeared to be fine with the three fillies. He was smiling, kinda. It was hard to smile when half your face was numb and covered in bandages. Big Mac moved into the kitchen, assisting Granny with dinner, making sure to keep an open ear out for the four.

0 0 0

Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell where quite the surprise. They're insane. The afternoon wore on, the sun sinking into the mountains as Luke enjoyed the company of these three little fillies. From their adventures, Luke almost had three heart attacks from just listening to the crazy things these fillies did to get their 'cutie marks.' _I tremble at the thought of what will happen when they get them._

Through the passing time, Luke felt his mind slowly clear of the numbing fog allowing him to think more clearly. The downside was the increasing aches and pains alongside the increasing amount of nausea he began to feel. His head felt warm and his stomach churned slowly.

Each filly took their turn to question Luke, asking him about his name, what was his home like, why was he covered in bandages. Luke tried to answer as best he could, keeping the whole different-species-thing to himself.

Granny Smith hollered from the kitchen, "Soups on, everypony!"

The three fillies made a mad dash towards the kitchen, Luke hobbling behind them. The wooden table was stocked with many delicious foods. All of them apple related. Luke raised an amused eyebrow, not sure if this was some joke related to Big Mac's last name. The three fillies were already seated, Granny Smith taking one side with one open chair at the front of the table and one to her right already pulled out. Assuming Big Mac sat at the table. Luke made his way to the open seat. Luke leapt for the seat, his legs only getting him half way on. Flailing his good leg a few times, Luke was able to finally pull himself on the flat surface. _Ha! Victory for Skywalker! I am now the master of all chairs! Muhaha! I think the drugs are hitting me harder than I thought._

Big Mac settled at the head of the table, looking over the spread of delicious food in front of him. Everypony began to dig into the scrumptious food, Luke enjoying the atmosphere of the room. Everyone was happy, laughing and enjoying the conversation, but something was nagging at him. Something Appllebloom had said.

"Um, Mrs. Smith?" Luke asked turning to the mare on his left, having only consumed a small portion of the salad and an apple fritter. The pastry leaving him speechless, _Mind blown_.

Granny cackled madly, "Oh ya don't need to call me Mrs. or anything sugarcube. Just call me Granny Smith, everypony does."

"Okay," Luke nodded smirking at the mare. "Granny Smith, Applebloom mentioned something about getting a cutie mark earlier, what is a cutie mark?"

"A cutie mark is the mark a pony receives when they learn their special talent," Granny pointed to her own flank, the image of an apple pie stamped on her thigh.

Luke was even more confused, "Why does that happen?"

Granny continued, "It leads a pony to their calling in life. Some will be bakers, farmers, tax attorneys, and so many others. A pony can look at a cutie mark as see themselves in it."

Luke found the idea a little disturbing, "Isn't that like destiny or a pre-destination?" Granny Smith raised an eyebrow as Luke continued, "Going by what you said, every child will have a pre-determined role to fill in society. What about the element of choice or chance? What if a child dreamed of becoming something other than what had been intended for him or her? What if a child aspired to become something greater?"

Everypony around the table sat in silence, no entirely sure how to approach this. Big Mac started, "It's not just about destiny, a cutie mark reveals that a pony has finally realized who they are."

Luke asked, "That could also mean that they have no room to become something else. What happens when they aspire to reach a different or greater goal? Could their cutie mark hold them back because it outlines what their special talent in life is?"

Big Mac thought for a moment, it was strange having this level of debate with a pony this young. Luke wasn't trying to be rude. He was just having difficulty of understanding cutie marks. Big Mac shrugged, "It's difficult to answer, ah guess you may figure it out if you get your cutie mark."

"What?" Luke raised an eyebrow. _What would my cutie mark be? Can I even get one?_

Applebloom decided to enter the conversation, "That would be so cool! A hippogriff cutie mark!"

"Can you even get a cutie mark?" Sweetie Bell asked, looking over to Luke.

Luke shrugged, turning back to Big Mac. "Maybe," the stallion said, "you do have a pony's rump. You may earn your cutie mark someday."

Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie looked to each other as their grins grew across their small muzzles. _I have a bad feeling about this_. All three shouted, "You could join our club! Another pony to add to the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Even though their smiles were wide and happy, adorable even, Luke could only think of them as the opening to gates to hell:

_Through me you pass into the city of woe:_

_Through me you pass into eternal pain:_

_Through me among the people lost for aye._

_Justice the founder of my fabric moved:_

_To rear me was the task of power divine,_

_Supremest wisdom and primeval love._

_Before me things create were none, save things_

_Eternal, and eternal I shall endure._

_All hope abandon, ye who enter here._ (Dante Alighieri).

Luke shook his head a few time, _Woah. That got really dark._ Luke turned back to the smiling faces. He could say no, he wanted to say no, but just look at those cute faces. Only a heartless man would say no. "Okay."

Their squeals of delight would have stopped anyone's heart. Big Mac chuckled, seeing the hippogriff trying to be friends with his sister brought a nice warmth to his heart. Even though he'd have to contend with the new batch of insane ideas the three would think of next.

Loud voices on the doorstep broke everyone of the conversation.

"Now Rainbow, I told ya not to overdo it."

"Yeah-yeah! But it was totally worth beating those stallion wasn't it!"

"Ya say that now, but come tomorrow yur gonna be whining like a little foal because ya strained yur wing."

Inside the house entered two mares, a orange country earth pony and a cyan Pegasus with the rainbow mane._Dude, I think I should be listening to Pink Floyd right about now. That hair is rocking._

Applejack turned towards the kitchen, seeing her family was a nice sight. However the sight of their feathered guest among the Apples drew her attention. Scootallo looked towards Rainbow Dash like she was the messiah, her wide grin showing all of her teeth. Moving into the kitchen, Rainbow Dash in tow, Applejack addressed her older brother and Granny Smith. "Sorry about this yall, but Rainbow Dash is gonna stay a couple of nights."

Rainbow Dash brushed it off, "It's just a sprained wing, nothing major. I just won't be able to fly for a day or too."

Applebloom asked, "How'd bowling go?"

Applejack smiled, "It went as well as you could have expected. Thanks to Rainbow we beat those stallions by a single pin."

Scootaloo cheered, clapping her hooves together. Rainbow Dash realized the extra member of the Brady Bunch. Moving closer to Luke as he stifled a loud yawn. Rainbow Dash looked the griffon up and down before offering him a hoof, "Hey there! Names Rainbow Dash, number one flier in Equestria, what's your name?"

Luke was happy to shake her hoof with a smile, "Nice to meet you, Luke Skywalker's the name."

"Luke Skywalker?" Rainbow Dash scratched her chin thinking deeply. "That's a weird name, but sometimes the weirdest are the most awesome." _I'm beginning to like her._

Luke was surprised when he turned to Applejack, the orange mare giving him a hard look. It wasn't a look of hate, but of distrust. Applejack said to Luke, not offering a hoof, "Mah name's Applejack." Her body language told Luke that she was 'watching him.'

To try and quell the rising tension, Big Mac said, "Alright, everypony. Let's clean up dinner and head to bed. Applebloom, you and yur friends can stay up in your room as long as you want since it's the weekend. Luke?" Big Mac watched as the tiring hippogriff turned to him, "You can sleep in mah bed tonight on account of Miss Dash here."

Luke tried to oppose, "Um, I really don't want to impose on you Big Mac. I'm sure I can find some other accommodations."

Big Mac shook his head, "Nope. No other beds are available and no pony is allowed to sleep on the couch. And I will certainly not see a guest of this house sleep on the floor." Luke tried to protest, but Big Mac stopped him with a raised hoof. Giving in, Luke just shrugged. Thinking about when his sister once had to crawl into his bed when she had a nightmare. Pushing away the stab to his heart, Luke attempted to help clean up dinner alongside the rest of the ponies.

Again, nope.

Not too long later, Luke found himself being lifted gently by the scruff of his neck up the flight of stairs. Wood groaned under Big Mac's hooves, carrying Luke to a very modest sized bedroom. A large bed sat against one wall, polished brown wood holding up a mattress that made Luke feel like it could eat him for breakfast. A tall dresser sat across from the bedpost, two picture frames and some knick knacks sitting on top. The strangest thing was on one of the bedside tables on each side of the bed, a small doll of grey fabric and white poke dotted shorts sitting on top of a book.

Luke decided not to question or talk about, he was no one to judge going by his collection of Pokémon memorabilia.

Big Mac chuckled at the sight of a metal bucket next to one side of the bed, the stallion already informing Granny Smith about what the doctor had told him. Placing the hippogriff on that side, Big Mac made to close the door, "Ya can sleep on that side. There's plenty of room on this bed."

Turning back, Big Mac looked at Luke. The hippogriff looked up at the farm pony with a sad expression. Despite his tiredness, Luke felt that it was his obligation to say something to this kind pony. "Big Mac?"

"Eeyup?"

"Thank you," Luke offered his gratitude in his high pitched voice, "I mean thanks for not only saving me, but taking me to the hospital." Luke rubbed his eyes, a light burning reaching the right eye, "I mean you let me into your home and everything. Your sister and Granny are very kind. I-I just don't know what to say beyond thanks. I don't know how to express my gratitude."

Big Mac's eyes softened at the hippogriff. Today wasn't an easy day for him. Waking up in a hospital had to be rough on anypony. Now, Big Mac knew that he had made the right choice. That Luke wasn't violent or sinister like his sister thought. Big Mac moved towards Luke, gently wrapping him in a hug, "You're welcome, Luke."

Luke was surprised at this action. Everyone here was so kind and nice, offering him comfort when he needed it. Big Mac turned off the lights, the mattress complaining as the work horse slid under the covers on his side of the bed. Luke laid his head on the pillow, the soft fabric lulling him into slumber. His eye began to close, his last thoughts. _I may be crazy, but I have an obligation to do my best and help these ponies like they have helped me. Maybe this won't be bad. We'll see what tomorrow brings._

**Author's Note:**

Over 9,000 words! YEAH!


	4. Chapter 4

Time Lost

Ch. 4: The Apple Family Farm

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to anything related to MLP. All other characters are mine.

The sun fell below the horizon on Canterlot. Behind her desk, Celestia's eyes scanned the latest complaints from the Canterlot nobles. Princess Celestia growled in irritation. _Sometimes I wish I could just all of those stuck up snobs to the Sun._

To Celestia's surprise, a large brown folder flashed into existence on top of the piles of parchment littering her desk. Intrigued, Celestia levitated the envelope before her. The insides revealed to be a single letter and a stack of pure white paper documents. The letter read as such:

_Dear Princess Celestia,_

_As you requested, here is all the information I have written on the human when he's woken up. The copies of this document have been sent to the FPS office in Canterlot and to Royal Guard HQ. The human calls himself Luke Skywalker. From my observation of him, he has very disjointed memories. He was unable to even remember his original name. Luke has shown no signs of aggression towards any of the staff and me. I felt it would be in his best interest to send him home with his legal guardian, Macintosh Apple._

_I will require further tests to establish the extent of his mental capacities. From my first observations, I believe he is smarter than he is letting on. Or he may be an idiot with unknown information locked inside his little head. For now I will keep in close contact with both him and the Apples. I will update you when I've learned any new information._

_Tomorrow I'll be paying a quick visit to Sweet Apple Acres. I'll be sure to write you tomorrow if I learn anything new._

_Sincerely,_

_Your Faithful Subject_

_Mary Sue._

Celestia smiled in contentment, _That's some good news for today._

A loud chuckled filled the silent study, effectively ruining Celestia's mood. Looking up, Celestia found Discord's head hovering over the document, his long neck extending from her flowing mane. "Discord, why are you here? More importantly, get out of my mane!"

In a flash, Discord appeared in front of Celestia's purple desk. "I was keeping an eye on you. I knew you would receive a letter from your contact in Ponyville. Which begs the question; why not rely on your faithful student?"

"I did not want Twilight to pester the poor boy. Could you imagine the extent she would go to if she found out the only human in existence is right under her nose?" Celestia asked rhetorically.

Discord shut his trap. Images of a crazed Twilight running down the hippogriff like a raving bloodhound filled his mind. "Good point."

"What do you plan to do now?"

Discord raised a bemused eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Celestia stressed, "the human you saved is now awake. What do you plan to do with him now? Do you plan to meeting with him?"

"I've thought about it," Discord scratched his chin. "My plan is to do nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yes," Discord nodded in affirmation.

"I don't believe you," Celestia said calmly.

Discord pouted, taking the form of a very small and very adorable brown puppy. The puppy Discord looked up at Celestia with wide sad eyes. When she didn't crack, Discord reverted back to normal. "I mean that I have thought about what you've said and agree with you."

_Discord's actually listening to a pony. Stop the presses!_

"I will keep to the shadows and remain hidden," Discord continued, grumbling in sadness. "I will merrily keep an eye on Luke. If Luke and I are never to meet again, I will hold my tongue and remain silent."

Celestia didn't know exactly how to feel. She felt a slight amount of pride in Discord's decision. But sadness seeped its way in. Discord may never get the retribution he needed. Luke Skywalker may never be able to find out the truth of his rebirth and how much it may hurt Discord to remain silent.

0 0 0

_For one the journey had just begun,_

_Old but young, his time to come._

_But soon enough the clock struck two,_

_The face must change, the music must too._

_Soon the music must end too,_

_His time on earth to begin anew._

_The clock continues to tick on bye,_

_Earth's deep rock unmoved by time._

_Soon the clock will tick on bye,_

_The actor's time to leave the spotlight dry._

_And now it's time for one last bow_

_Like all those who had to go._

_The eleventh hour is over now,_

_The clock is striking twelve._

Discord looked down from the roof of Big Mac's room, unseen by any wakeful. Discord felt a pang in his heart. Sleep didn't reach Luke this night. Heat rose from the center of the hippogriff's body, leaving him drenched in sweat. Luke tossed and turned on the small section of the mattress. Stomach rolled like the stormy sea. Luke's small body could not fight off the ravenous pain assaulting the nerves. The stitches across his back, arm, chest and stomach became red and puffy. The inflamed flesh pressed against the synthetic fibers without mercy. His broken leg itched, the pain lacerating deep into the bone.

Luke had only a seconds warning, his frail body finally giving into natures call. With a heave, Luke brought his head over the side. The face the metal bucket was ready for him. Discord cringed at the sound emitting from Luke's beak.

Big Mac jerked away, the loud banging of half solids smacking against metal. Big Mac craned his head to the side, seeing Luke's back towards him. This is going to be a long night. Big Mac groaned, barely eleven o'clock and he was already comfortable. Pulling himself to his hooves, Big Mac left the room in silence.

Big Mac returned shortly after, a glass of water held in his hoof for Luke. The hippogriff's head rested on the side of the mattress panting. Every fiber of his being hurt, acting like his flesh was on fire. Big Mac brought the cool liquid to Luke, offering the hippogriff the glass. Luke's bloodshot eye peered at the glass before taking the glass within his trembling talons.

Luke could feel the weakness in his muscles. His hands reacted sluggishly the call. Big Mac's giant hoof pressed against the bottom of the glass, helping Luke steady it. Luke drained the glass. Cool relief filtered through his throat and to the stomach.

Gently, Big Mac moved Luke's small head back onto the bed. The amber eye was half-lidded, brain drowning in a sea of red pain signals. Mac held his hoof barely an inch from Luke's body. There he could feel the heat radiate from Luke's feathery forehead.

Big Macintosh left Luke again, going downstairs to grab an icepack. The farmer could not help but reminisce. A feeling of nostalgia rose in his chest.

_"But Macky!" a small orange filly wined to her older brother as he tucked into pink blankets. "Ah don't want to be sick! Ah want to go outside!"_

_Little Mac shook his head, "Nope. You're gonna stay in bed until ya'll get better now. Mom and Pa will be mighty sore if'n you don't stay in bed."_

_Applejack crossed her arms, huffing in indignation at her brother's firm stance. No matter how cute she was, Little Mac would not be moved._

Discord watched Macintosh's memory, intrigued at what was going on in the farmer's head. _Who knew Applejack was such a cute little filly once? What happened?_

Applejack snorted in irritation.

Returning to his room, Big Mac offered Luke sweet relief. Placing the cloth bag on his head, Big Mac gently nudged Luke away from the edge of the bed. To ensure he didn't fall onto the cold hard ground. Satisfied, Big Mac returned to his side of the bed.

When he was sure the pony was asleep, Discord body became visible. Discord felt beside Luke's head with a tentative paw. Discord looked down at Luke with concern. I can't heal him. _That would raise too many suspicions._Saddened he couldn't do anything, Discord disappeared.

Luke continued to struggle through the night. Big Macintosh couldn't sleep either, the hippogriff's constant motion keeping him awake. Macintosh didn't mind. He could never blame a sick pony for something they couldn't control. Hours passed slowly, time warped by the surrounding darkness.

Finally, Luke fell into a dreamless sleep. A healing sleep. At three thirty, the hippogriff's body and mind started the recovery process. The big pony sighed in relief, Luke's body ending its constant unrest.

Groaning, Macintosh settled down into sleep. His eyelids drooped, dark bags showing through his red coat. Without hesitation, Big Mac fell into the dreamscape.

0 0 0

Granny Smith rolled out of bed. The cold hardwood floor met the elder's hooves. "Mah hip," Granny Smith groaned, stretching out her hindquarters to pop the offending hip. Ripping open the curtains, the light of Celestia sun blinded the elderly mare.

Granny Smith slowly edged out of her room and into the hallway. Applejack's door laid open, her room empty. The hallway echoed with Rainbow Dash's snores. _You'd think there was a full grown dragon sleeping in the guest room._ With a chuckle, Granny Smith continued onto the rest of the rooms. Applebloom and her friends grumbled awake. The sun's harsh rays danced in front of their closed eyes.

Looking into Macintosh's room, Granny Smith's careful hooves glided over the worn wood floor. Granny's green muzzle peered over Luke's flushed faced. Even with feathers, a light red tint bled into the white. Granny removed the ice pack from Luke's head. Water sloshed in the bag.

Granny Smith could not help but chuckle at the sight of the two boys snoring loudly, drool dripping onto the fabric. Dragging the bucket behind her, Granny Smith made sure to clean the metal bucket outside.

Eight o'clock rolled on by, Luke rolling off the side of the bed and all the way down to the ground. Hissing, Luke blinked the blurriness from his eyes. Muscles slow to lift off. Luke stumbled from the room, tripping over his own hooves/talons on the way. His vision blurred and warping, making the hallway twist and turn to the whims of the universe. The hippogriff's movements were slow and jerking. Even with the pain throughout his body, Luke was on a mission. He had to perform the most important deed of the day. Nothing would stop him from reaching salvation. _What did I do last night?_ Head pounding, Luke finally found his destination. The bathroom.

Entering the sacred room, Luke groaned to himself, "Another hole in the floor."

Leaving the bathroom, Luke moved down the hallway. _Much better._ Some would assume this grown man had a destination or plan in mind. In Luke's head, the brain you were trying to contact is temporarily out of service. Please hang up and try your call again later.

On day two in Equestria, Luke met his second biggest challenge. Stairs! In front of him, the stairs contorted for Luke. They writhed like a coiling snakes ready to strike. "Are you okay?" a sweet voice asked. Luke nearly jumped out of his skin to end up falling on his rump and almost squashing his tail.

Luke's head swiveled towards Applebloom. The filly appeared incomplete without her pink bow. Applebloom was giving Luke a very confused look, her mane poking out in every direction.

Luke shook his head, Applebloom's hair waving in front of his eye. _Applebloom the Gorgon._ "I'm not sure."

Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo soon arrived. They looked over Luke's flushed face. "You don't look so good," Sweetie Bell said.

"Are you trying to go downstairs?" Scootaloo asked. Luke turned to face the stairs, then back to the three. A shrug was all they got for an answer.

"Do you need help downstairs?" Applebloom asked, moving closer.

"Sure." _I have no idea where I'm going. But there are cute ponies with me so nothing can go wrong._

"Can you two help him downstairs?" Applebloom asked Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell. They nodded before Applebloom tore down the stairs, finding Granny Smith inside the kitchen. A large pot simmered on the worn stove. "Granny," Applebloom called.

"Howdy their squirt! How are you doing?" Granny Smith smiled, stirring the vegetable soup with a long wooden spoon.

"Ah think Luke might be sick. He's kinda wandering around upstairs," Applebloom said.

On the stairs, Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell gently shepherded Luke to ground level. Each filly placed a foreleg under Luke's arms. Halfway down the rickety steps, Luke had to stop. His breath short, the world spun into a blur of colors. Scootaloo hefted Luke, his shoulders sagging, "You're heavy for a freaking bird." _Hey! I am not fat!_

"That's just the fever talking sugarcube. That's why ah'm making the Apple family famous tomato basil soup," Granny Smith said, taking a moment to take a quick taste. "Hmmm. Needs more salt."

"Wait, we have a family recipe that doesn't involve apples?" Applebloom asked, flabbergasted.

"OW!" Luke shouted, tripping over the last step. _I curse you steps! I curse you and all of your kind! Let it be known that I will drive your race into extinction! I will seek the inventor of the stairs and push him down a flight of stairs! It will be ironic because he will break his legs, leaving him immobile and unable to use his own invention. Then his wife will leave him for the guy who invented the elevator. Because we all know, elevators are sexier than stairs!_

"What was that?"

Applebloom looked into the next room, finding Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell pulling Luke into a standing position. "It's all good Granny. Just an accident that's all."

Granny Smith took her word for it, adding a little salt to the mix. "Where was Ah… Oh yeah. Of course the Apples have recipes outside our namesake. You can't make a good soup with apples. Believe me child ah tried."

"What happened?"

"Well," Granny Smith drawled off. A memory swam to the surface of her consciousness. A metal pot melting into a pool of molten metal and shooting off sparks into the open air filled Granny's mind's eye. "Ah don't wanna talk about it."

Applebloom wanted to ask more, but Granny Smith shushed her. Granny lifted a thick black lid on the pot before lowering the flame. "There we go Lucy Goose. Soup's all ready." Granny and Applebloom moved into the living room.

Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo made way for Granny to take a look at Luke. The hippogriff simply lay on the floor, the cool wood feeling comfortable on his stomach with his eye closed. _Ah sweet ground, how I love thee. You're always there to catch me when I fall, except when it involves my face. How dare you blemish this gorgeous face!_

With an experience hoof, Granny checked Luke's temperature.. Granny said to the three fillies, "Don't worry. Luke's got a fever that's all." Granny made her way into the kitchen, calling to Applebloom, "Bloom, how about you and yur friends go play? I'm sure there's some crusading to do." Celestia help me, Ah just encouraged them.

The CMC left, Winona running through the open door. The thick coated dog's tail wagged in excitement. She could smell something new in the house, someone new. She didn't get the chance to visit yesterday. Those dastardly squirrels were mocking her again. _There he is._ Winona had to investigate, her dog instincts wanting to know who and what was lying on the floor. In her spot no less.

Luke felt a cold wet nose poke his side, _That tickles._ Luke's amber eye open, looking at the white and brown cattle dog smiling at him. Winona's tail wagged excitedly. Luke raised his right hand towards Winona, allowing her to smell him. Winona's nose crinkled before releasing a massive sneeze. She smelt strong sanitizer and blood on the hippogriff.

Winona cocked her head to the right, as if to ask a question. _Was this feathered one hurt?_ Winona allowed Luke's knuckles to scratch against her chin absentmindedly. _Again: sharp objects = problems._ Winona was worried for him, he smelt of blood. Blood meant injury or worse. Winona's protective instincts kicked in. She had stayed with each of her family when they were hurt. The big red one, the smaller orange one, the tiny one and the old one were all her family. It was a dog's purpose to protect her family. If this hippogriff was here, then he must be new to the family. Just like her so many years ago.

When Winona was a tiny puppy, she looked up with wide brown eyes expectantly at the ponies passing in front the cardboard box that housed her brothers and sisters. She waited for that one family to pick her. It wasn't until a small orange filly's muzzle entered the puppy's vision, almost tripping over her own in haste to see Winona. Winona barked excitedly at the filly, tail wagging like a mad dog. The filly had to beg her parents to take Winona. They were hesitant. The scruffy dark red pony with a curling brown mane looked at the slender green pony to his right. The mare carried a tiny bundle on her back. When they said yes, the filly jumped four feet in the air to release an exuberant cheer. Applejack picked Winona out of the whole litter. From that day forward, Winona would be with the Apple bunch.

Luke's lips lifted in a slight smile, feeling Winona's thick coat against his own fur. Winona's wide brown eyes looked up at Luke's face, his amber eye catching sight of her. With some difficulty, Luke lifted his right arm. The limb trembled as it rose. It felt stiff, the stitches burning under their wrappings.

Granny Smith entered the living room, carrying with her a glass of water and several pills. Ain't that just the sweetest sight. Luke had his right arm draped over Winona's back, the cattle dog nuzzling Luke's side. Luke's eye closed. Moving to the pair, Granny Smith said, "Now sugarcube, before you go to sleep you need to take yur medicine."

_Ah._ Luke groaned, opening his single eye again. With his left hand, Luke popped the pills in his mouth before washing them down with water.

"Good boy," Granny Smith smiled. _At least he's better than Applejack was at that age. That filly ran like a bat out of Tartarus when it came to taking her medicine._ Granny left Luke in peace to make breakfast for everypony. _Ah think pancakes are in order._

The CMC and Applejack gave thanks for the fluffy creations of delicious delicacies. **Bang. Bang. Bang.** All heads turned to the cyan mare slowly entering into the kitchen. The smell of sweet sugary deliciousness reached her all the way into the guest room. "Pancakes." Applejack couldn't help but chuckle at the rainbow mane sticking out in every possible direction. Rainbow Dash never paid her bad hairdo. Her glazed eyes and mind were on the sweet smell of, "Pancakes."

Rainbow Dash took a seat, looking at the tall stack of doughy round things that needed to be in her stomach right now. "How was sleeping in the guest room, Rainbow?" Applejack asked, sipping on her morning cup of coffee.

"Hrrr." Rainbow Dash grabbed herself a plate, piling it high before drowning it in dark syrup.

Breakfast flew by, the CMC taking time to help Granny Smith clean the dishes. Applejack went outside to feed the pigs and chickens. Rainbow Dash went back to bed. Or to be more precise, she walked out on the patio and slumped onto the worn wooden like a sloth. The cyan Pegasus didn't who saw her being lazy, it wasn't even eleven. _Who gets up this early?_

Outside, Sweetie Bell asked, "What do you girls want to do?"

The three scratched their heads in unison. Scootaloo offered, "We can always try to get our cutie marks in dragon wrangling."

"Or we can do something that's not insane," Sweetie Bell groaned.

Sweetie Bell and Scottaloo looked towards Applebloom. Applebloom wore a worried looked. "Hey! Wake up!" Scootaloo snapped, knocking Applebloom from her thoughts.

"What?"

"You were zoning out Applebloom," Sweetie Bell said.

"I was just thinking about Luke," Applebloom began, "He looks really sick."

"Maybe we should do something nice for him?" Sweetie Bell offered.

"That's a great idea!" Scootaloo said, her wings buzzing excitedly. The young filly hovered a foot off the ground before her wings finally gave out.

"Oh! We could make him a get-well-card," Applebloom said with gusto.

"Well," Sweetie Bell injected, "He is getting better. He just left the hospital yesterday and you normally send get-well-cards to ponies in the hospital."

"Right," Applebloom's ears drooped sadly.

"How about a 'Welcome to the Apple Family card'?" Scootaloo scratched the back of her head. The orange Pegasus racking her brain for any good ideas.

"That could work," Applebloom muttered, thinking to herself.

"How about we head to the clubhouse? We can think of something there," Scootaloo said.

"Alright, let's go Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Applebloom said, the three fillies running full speed to their clubhouse.

Big Mac groaned awake, his alarm clock reading 9:56 A.M. Craning his neck, Big Mac looked towards the other side of his bed. His heart froze. Luke wasn't where he was supposed to be. "Oomph!" Big Mac rolled onto the floor, his hooves unable to catch him from the floor's embrace.

Granny Smith cackled, hearing the upstairs room reverberate with several loud bangs. The elderly mare sat quietly in her rocking chair, a needle and white cross-stitch in her hooves. Macintosh made his appearance, eyes wide, "W-where?"

Granny Smith put a hoof to her lips, pointing to the sleeping form of Luke in front of the couch. Big Mac's green eyes caught sight of something quite adorable. Winona snuggled the sleeping Luke. The hippogriff was sound asleep, his chest slowly rising and falling . To add to this moment, Luke's arm was still wrapped around the cattle dog. Winona appeared very content at keeping an eye on Luke. Granny remembered another time when another small filly slept with Winona wrapped in her tiny hooves.

Granny Smith slid off the wooden seat. With a wave of her hoof, Granny beckoned her grandson to follow her into the kitchen. "Want some breakfast Big Mac?" Big Mac nodded, his stomach grumbling in agreement.

"When did ya get to sleep?"

"Around three."

Granny Smith gave Big Mac the leftover pancakes Rainbow Dash didn't manage to eat. The fluffy pancakes may be cold, but they were still delicious. But no morning is complete without a cup of Joe. Big Mac calmly walked out onto the patio with his drink. The cool breeze ruffled Big Mac's ginger hair. Caffeine pumped its way throughout his veins, providing the jumper cables for Big Macintosh's brain. Today his list of choirs was small. All he had to do was move the stacks of hay around, organize the workbench in the barn and check the support beams. Applejack said he was crazy for checking these. But with how many times the barn fell, Big Mac had to make sure his home would survive the next disaster.

Granny Smith returned to her stitching, almost falling asleep the second she sat down. The living room became filled with the sound of snoring.

The peaceful sleep could not last.

Applejack entered the household, moving towards the stairs.

The mare stopped, catching the sight of Winona curled up next to Luke in her peripheral vision. The sight of her dog lying next to that hippogriff made her blood boil. The puppy she trained for years, who had been one of her closest friends, was cuddling with Luke. This kid had the gale to enter her home without her approval. Applejack built this farm to what it is was today. _Even though the barn keeps getting destroyed, that's not mah fault._ This was Applejack's world. She knew everything that went on in her world. Ponyville may be crazy, but her farm was her sanctuary from that insanity. Here, Applejack was in control. Here, at Sweet Apple Acres, things tended to remain the same. That was what made the farm safe. Unknown elements at the farm were bad. In Applejack's experience, they meant danger. Unpredictability didn't sit well with Applejack.

Luke Skywalker, he wasn't supposed to be here. She knew nothing about him. Applejack didn't like anything unknown entering Sweet Apple Acres. Luke represented that unknown element Applejack hated so much.

To her, Luke had just waltz into her little slice of paradise. For the past three days, Applejack had to fight the dreaded feeling filling her head. The same thoughts rolled around in her head. Who was he? What did he want? Why was he going to live on her farm? Applejack couldn't answer these questions and it drove her mad. She was responsible for her family and she needed to know what happened. Big Mac hadn't been much help. He told her he was messed up and left it at that. He couldn't have told her more simply because he didn't know enough at the time.

When Applejack caught sight of him, she couldn't help but feel an unknown resentment towards him. His bandages and broken leg caught her off guard, but she thought he would be healthy enough to handle a little talk. She didn't intend to too much force, just enough to hold him in one place for a few seconds.

Applejack cast her gauze to her sleeping Granny. _Ah think it's time we have a little chat Skywalker._ Winona jerked awake, Applejack's hooves approaching. Applejack said in a serious tone, "Go Winona." The cattle dog wined before obeying the mare. She didn't want to leave, but Winona slowly trotted outside. Like the good dog she was.

Applejack placed a hoof against Luke's back, intending on holding him to the ground.

"Argh!" Luke jerked awake, fire lacing across his back. Blinded by sleep, head full of cluttered images of colors, Luke attempted to push against the mountainous pressure bearing down on him. Bad move. The move sent white stars across his eye. Luke twisted his head, his amber eye looking up at Applejack. "What?" Luke's pitifully voiced in pain.

"Why are you on my farm?"

"W-wwhat?" Luke couldn't hear right. Luke's priorities were on the stabbing pain across his back and his sides.

"Why are you here?" Applejack added more forcefully, ignoring Luke's trembling body. Applejack didn't see the pain, she saw it as fear. Fear of a colt that had something to hide.

"P-please stop." Applejack's hoof was too big and too heavy for Luke to even try to budge. The synthetic fibers of his stitches continued to push into the inflamed skin. The pressure on his ribcage sparked jolts of white hot pain across Luke's nervous. His ribs were not up for this kind of activity.

Applejack took Luke's meager attempts to move as a sign of struggle. Applebloom had tried the same tactic when she was younger. Writhing and crying under her sister's hoof until she ran out of energy. Then Applebloom would calm down enough to tell her older sister what was wrong. "I want to know what you did."

"I didn't do anything," Luke said, his voice a scratchy whisper. Lungs weren't working properly and he couldn't breathe in the air he needed to talk properly.

"Then why did you end up on my farm with all those bandages?"

"I was attacked."

Applejack could tell this was part of the truth. Her bones told her he was holding out. She wanted, needed to know what had happened to the young hippogriff. She needed to know if he was dragging her family into danger. "By what?"

"I don't know!" Luke snapped shutting his eye from Applejack's accusing glare. The human's mind may be old, but this body was still young. Hormones worked differently in the hippogriff's body. The brain's chemistry acted differently, bringing in waves of electronic stimulus the human was not accustomed to. Luke had not developed any form of control in this body. The pain seemed to be more severe now. Luke had no defenses against the torrent of information wracking his brain.

"What aren't you telling me?" Applejack said, her muzzle mere inches from Luke's face.

"What?" Luke stuttered, his eye opening to look into Applejack's face. His mind ran blank for any possible reasons. _Is she referring to me being human or something else?_

"Ah know yur hiding something! Ah can see it. Now tell me everything I need to know! Are you in danger? Are you bringing harm to this Family?" Applejack snapped, losing her patience with the young colt.

"Applejack!" The very low base voice shocked Applejack to her very core. Angry and loud, Big Mac's voice woke Granny Smith from her nap.

"Wha- oh," Granny Smith asked, before her eyes caught sight of Applejack. She turned to Big Mac, gulping at the sight of his expression. Thick veins pulsed visibly under Big Mac's furry forehead, his pupils focused into pinpricks. The scowl on his face would scare even the bravest of stallions.

Applejack stood stock still. In all honestly, Applejack was afraid of her brother. In her stupor, Applejack shifted her weight to her other hooves. Taking advantage of the lessened weight, Luke pulled away from Applejack. Startled, Applejack instinctually grabbed the white bandages under her hoof. The thin material tore off Luke in his desperate stumble away from her. Luke pushed himself backwards, making sure to keep his eye on Applejack the entire time. Luke stopped when something very hard and furry pushed against his back, flinching when the object made contact with his stitches.

Granny Smith jumped to her hooves, seeing Luke panic in his mad rush away from Applejack and into Big Mac's leg. White bandages slipped off Luke's chest and back to litter the dark wooded floor. Granny Smith felt sadness seep into her heart. Even though Big Mac had gone over Luke's injuries after Luke arrived. Seeing was an entirely different experience.

The raw red skin shone brightly against Luke's coat. Four jagged cuts across his chest and the four puncture wounds into the blue fur of his gut were an eyesore to any pony. The red jagged skin looked like somepony took a page out of Dr. Frankenstein's handbook.

"Big Mac?" Granny Smith asked, not knowing what had just transpired.

Macintosh ignored Granny Smith, instead asking, "Why?"

Applejack couldn't help but shiver at the venom in her brother's voice. She knew he was angry. She would be too if she had just finished doing her choirs to finding her one of her siblings holding a houseguest to the ground. "Now Macintosh…"

"Don't you now MACINTOSH me!" Big Mac snapped. "Why were you putting your hoof on a houseguest? Better yet! Why were you holding him down to begin with?"

"I-I n-n-need to know if he was trouble," Applejack stuttered. The icy grip of fear played at her heart.

"Let me get this straight," Big Mac slowly stated, ever word released with great articulation to ensure he would not be misunderstood. Each word forced through his teeth with great pain. "Applejack, you could have just asked me. Instead, you decided to put pressure on a colt that has stitches across his back, chest, four broken ribs, and is running a fever just so you ask what kind of trouble he's in?" Applejack started to make her response, but Big Mac held up his hoof. "I want to know why you didn't ask me. I could have told you everything about you needed to know. Now tell me why."

Applejack choked on her words before releasing them, trying to find a good excuse. "Ah wanted to make sure it was the full truth. And Ah didn't mean to hurt him too much. I just thought he had a few stitches."

If Big Mac could look more angered, now was the time. Big Mac's body trembled in suppressed rage, his face growing a shade of darker red. "Ah was going to tell you today when ah the chance had. You were giving Luke the stink eye last night and ah didn't want to cause a fight. But why, in the name of Celestia's sugar coated tits, did you honestly think it was a good idea to question a sick pony?"

Applejack just stood in place, unable to respond. "What if he told a lie? How would we know what the truth was unless somepony asked him?" Big Mac snorted in disgust, before he could say anything however-

"I would hope you had enough faith in another pony's ability to tell honesty." Seven eyes turned to the open front door, Mary Sue standing calmly in the doorway.

"Who are you and what are you doing on mah farm?" Applejack snapped.

"I'm Mary Sue, Luke's councilor. I heard raised voiced, so I decided to investigate," Mary Sue calmly walked into the room. "I do have the right to enter any property if I believe a child under government watch is at risk. Or do I need to bring over a Royal Guard to explain the law?" When no pony responded, Mary walked over to Luke. The hippogriff sat frozen next to Big Mac's hoof. "Are you alright Luke?" Mary asked her calm voice becoming worried. With a delicate hoof, Mary felt around Luke's flushed face feeling the elevated temperature.

Luke deftly nodded, not trusting his own voice. Luke's heart bashed against his chest. He had no idea what was going on. First he was asleep, and then he was abruptly woken up by pain. That would frazzle anyone's nerves.

Mary didn't look too satisfied, but she turned to Big Mac. The large stallion worried about what the councilor would say. "Macintosh," Sue clearly said. Big Mac felt as if the mare was about to snap at him for allowing Luke to be harmed under his care. "I believe Luke requires a bath. Rolling on the floor without bandages isn't the best of activities for him to partake in. If you would be so kind, could to take him into the bathroom. I would like to speak with Applejack please."

Big Mac nodded dumbly, surprised at Mary Sue. Gently, Big Mac lifted Luke by the scruff of his neck. Silently, Big Mac and Luke moved upstairs towards the bathroom. Mary turned to Applejack when she heard the bathroom door slam behind them. "Now Applejack, let's talk."

Luke's furry rump sat on the cold bathroom rug. Next to him Big Mac ran cold water into the old Victorian bathtub of white plaster. When the bath was around four inches deep, Big Mac stopped the flow of water to add some saline salt. Luke and Mac remained silent. Neither one wanted to talk about what had just transpired. With one hoof, Big Mac swirled the water in the tub.

When all of the white crystals were dissolved, Big Mac moved in front of Luke. With hooves too gentle for the giant, Big Mac slowly unwound the white gauze from Luke's head. With each layer removed, Big Mac's disgust grew. Mac's stoic expression never changed, but inside he felt the hot coals of anger writhe hotter. Four deep horizontal slashed, almost half an inch wide destroyed the left side of Luke's face. The flesh was only held together by thick black plastic. Dr. Hoarse had to remove every single feather from the top of his head to under his chin. The more horrifying part of Luke's image was the empty socket. A black hole surrounded by black and purple bruised skin. There wasn't even an inch of skin that didn't look affected by the discoloration. A think horizontal cut was barely visible under the socket to the cheek, the only sign of Dr. Hoarse's exceptional surgical skill.

To Hoarse's credit, the cheekbones and facial structure perfectly matched the undamaged side.

Luke felt the soft gauze peel off his flesh, but something disturbed him. The left side of his vision was still black. Somewhere in the back of his head, Luke felt something close to dread grow. Looking to the left then right, Luke felt as if his eye was there and moving. The muscles still received electronic signals from the brain, giving him the illusion that his eye was still in its socket.

Big Mac gently sat Luke into the tub. _That's cold._ Big Mac left the water lukewarm to drop Luke's fever. To Luke the water felt like he was skinny dipping in the Pacific Ocean. _Not that I've done that mind you._

Luke shivered lightly. Big Mac produced a clean wash cloth from under the bathroom sink. With great care, the pony dabbed at the cuts on Luke's back. Silence filled the air with a tension so thick Luke could cut it with his claws.

Big Mac preferred the silence. Silence made life easier for him to work. Silence made it easier for him to handle the sadness and anger he felt. "Big Mac?"

"Eeyup?"

"Did I do something wrong?" Luke asked his voice scratchy. Luke couldn't make sense of Applejack. She asked him questions as if he did something to earn these injuries. Applejack had focused on him for some reason. _She knew I wasn't telling the whole truth, but that doesn't mean I did anything wrong. Right?_

"No, no you didn't do anything wrong," Big Mac sighed, his ears pulling against his head.

"But why?"

Big Mac took a moment to think about the answer. "Applejack's a cautious mare. She only wants to protect the family." Luke sat silently, taking in the low voice. "Mah sister's a stubborn mule. She will only take what she sees in front of her as fact. Being the Element of Honesty doesn't help in that matter." _Element of Honesty? Does that mean she can tell when someone's lying?_ "Applejack didn't know about your injuries, but that don't mean what she did was right. She's afraid because she doesn't know you. Word is that griffons are a violent species. Ah mean we do have a nice cook who's a griffon, but her interactions with griffons haven't been the best. Applejack assumed you were trouble, therefore you were bringing harm to her family."

Luke turned to silence. Big Mac's hoof moved to clean the cuts on his chest and arm. Luke could have protested, but he didn't have the will to. He felt bad. He was the reason Big Macintosh was mad at Applejack. Luke couldn't help thinking about his sister. _She's dead and here I am, being bathed like a small child._

Luke angrily brushed the itching at the corner of his right eye, telling himself there wasn't a tear. Big Mac caught sight of this, "Don't you worry bout nothing. Things will work out in the end. They always do."

Luke didn't believe him.

0 0 0

Mary Sue stood in front of Applejack, keeping her expression calm and collective. "Now Applejack, did you honestly expect I would send a potentially dangerous individual to live with you and your family?"

"Um, no."

"Then," Mary's voice curt, "Why would you assume Luke is in anyway dangerous or bringing danger to you?"

"Well Ah haven't had a chance to talk to him properly, didn't ah?" Applejack said her voice hard. She was not going to give in to this councilor like she did with her brother. "All Ah know is that he's hiding something. I saw it in his eye just now."

"Did you expect anything less?"

Applejack opened her mouth, "Ah expect him to tell me the full truth. There is no way Ah will allow him to stay on this farm until Ah know full and well he's good."

"So you needed to see him tell you the truth?"

"Eeyup."

"So you can't believe the word of a health care profession who has worked for several years with children? Who has personally been trained and prepared to deal with difficult or traumatized children? Instead you believe just because you're the Element of Honesty, you can't rely on the words of said professional?"

_When you put it like that it makes me sound like a grade A bitch_. "That's not what I meant?"

Granny Smith was about to say something to her stubborn grandchild, but Mary Sue beat her. "Then tell me, would you be fully honest with ponies you had just met if you had woken up in the hospital, covered in injuries and without all of your memories?"

"What?"

"Did you even bother to learn about Luke before you decided to talk to him?," Mary asked coldly. "Well I'll let you in on the whole story." With a deep breath, Mary listed, "Broken knee joint, four broken ribs, punctured organs in the abdomen, skin lacerations that made the nurse almost faint halfway through stitching them all, an eye that was surgically removed and amnesia." Applejack's ears went back even farther, hurting her head. She felt the wind get knocked out of her. "Did you know that Luke isn't actually his name? He tried so hard to remember his own name, but ended up drawing a blank. I was there when he picked the name Luke Skywalker. And while I was informing him about Ponyville, I took some time to question him."

Mary's eyes dropped sadly, "After he had fully woke up, he gave me more details about his attacker. A 'monster' as he called it with grey and brown fur, sharp claws, a long sharp tooth and big yellow eyes."

Applejack felt shame building inside of her, "What about his family?"

"They're dead."

**Gasp!** All ponies in the room turned to the front door, the CMC standing in the doorway with wide eyes. In Applebloom's hoof was a large piece of paper folded in half. The paper was covered with red and green glitter, leaving a sparkling trail behind her.

Granny Smith decided to handle this one. Moving over to the fillies, Granny Smith ushered them outside. "Come along girls. Applejack and the nice councilor need to be alone right now."

When Granny Smith was out of sight, Applejack asked, "How do you know?"

"He saw their bodies," Mary Sue voice became low. "Luke didn't describe it, but I saw the sadness in his eyes. You can't fake that kind of sadness. We had to stop our talk because he was getting incredibly upset. I gave Luke a lunch break to give him ample time to calm down."

"So that mean-"

"It means Luke is all alone."

0 0 0

A fluffy pink towel patted Luke's head dry. Luke may have wanted to dry himself, but Big Mac's instinct as a older brother told him no. Luke felt terrible. I'm the one who brought conflict in this household. Big Mac's been so kind and I've caused him trouble. Luke's eye turned away from the red pony in front of him, catching sight of the mirror. Sparking an idea in his sickness addled mind.

Never once had he looked at his own reflection without the band aids. Yesterday he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the hospital bathroom, but most of his face was covered in white gauze. Originally, Luke assumed he couldn't see out of his left eye because it was covered. Now, he wasn't so sure. _What's under those bandages?_

Pushing away from Big Mac, Luke approached the sink and counter. He intended to jump on that counter to see his full reflection. Luke needed to know what those bandages were hiding. Big Mac's large hoof landed in front of Luke, blocking his way. Luke looked up into Big Mac's worried filled eyes. Macintosh knew what the hippogriff was thinking. And Big Mac didn't want Luke to see the damage done to his face. That knowledge could hurt Luke in his weakened state.

"Please?"

Big Mac shook his head. "I need to know," Luke tried a second time.

Again, Big Mac shook his head.

"I can't see out my eye. I need to know what happened! I can't bear not knowing what is wrong with my own body. Without the bandages, I should be able to see, but I can't! Why can't I see, Big Mac?" Luke nearly pleaded. Too much had gone wrong today and Luke didn't want to deal with having this over his head.

Big Mac couldn't look away from Luke's amber eye and black socket. With much reservation, Big Mac lifted Luke onto the counter.

There, Luke would find horror. The childlike feathered right side was the same as before. But that was a face. The left side looked like he had been mauled by Freddy Krueger. _A close second if you ask me._ Luke wanted to throw up. His esophagus clenched, trying to bring up anything of substance left in his stomach. This was not his face or a hippogriff's face. This is the face of a victim, a boy who had suffered at the hands of a monster.

Big Mac wrapped a foreleg around Luke. The hippogriff's good eye watering as the gravity of the situation hit him. This was more than just a face. This was the face he may be wearing for the rest of his natural life. Luke turned to Big Mac, "My eye's gone."

Luke shuttered at the thought. Too much was being piled onto him. Applejack and now this was not doing any favors for Luke's psyche. Emotions flooded his system. Not just pain, but sadness at the reality. Big Mac pulled Luke into his chest, taking care not to push on Luke's injuries.

Luke wrapped his legs around Big Mac's barrel. He didn't care how childish he was looking. A small child hugging a grown stallion while crying on the bathroom floor. Luke had no control over this. This child's body had not developed blockers for this kind of burden. No way to prepare for this kind of world to exist. "Why?" Luke screamed into Big Mac's red coat, tears dotting the fur.

Mary Sue and Applejack looked up, hearing Luke's muffle cries. For the first time, Luke had time to think about his situation without interruption or fear for his life.

"There, there. You're going to be fine."

"It's not fine!" Luke snapped, looking up into Big Mac's muzzle. "I'm alive and my sister's dead. I get to live while she doesn't. That is not alright! I have to live with this face while she rots in the earth!"

Big Mac didn't have anything to say at this. He knew Luke wasn't himself. Luke was talking out of anger, pain and sadness. For the first time, Luke was able to experience the soul crushing realization that he survived. The cold pit pulsing in Luke's stomach was acknowledgment in the fact that he was the only one to make it out alive.

Mary Sue slid the bathroom door open, popping her head inside. She looked at the bizarre scene of Big Mac sitting on the cold floor holding a weeping Luke. Big Mac shook his head, telling Mary without words that now was not the time.

Half an hour later, Luke passed out. His body didn't have the resources to stay conscious. Having no food in the stomach and fighting a fever at the same time took it out of Luke.

With a heavy heart, Big Mac carefully wrapped Luke in a fresh set of bandages. Mary waited patiently outside the bathroom. Applejack stood next to her. No one spoke a single word until Big Mac opened the door with Luke carefully placed on his back.

"Is he alright?" Mary asked, beating Applejack to the punch.

"He's shaken up," Big Mac said moving towards his room. "The shock of today really took it out of him." The pony stopped, turning to look at Mary. "Luke said he lives while his sister died. Ah think we need to keep a close eye on him. Ah don't want him thinking the wrong ideas."

Mary nodded in agreement, following Big Mac to his room. Only Big Mac entered, the others thinking it was best not to crowd him. Big Mac gently laid the clean Luke on the mattress. Luke's feathered head rested on the pillow.

Big Mac felt the uncontrolled impulse to do something for Luke, to give Luke some form of comfort. But how could he give something to a pony that had these kinds of wounds? These kinds of scar would run deep, deeper than the flesh. Big Mac's eyes caught sight of something.

_Ah may not be able to give you much, but Ah hope this helps a little._ Big Mac lifted one of Luke's talons, sliding his beloved Mr. Smarty Pants for the hippogriff to hug. Luke wrapped around his arms around the doll. The subconscious reached out in a desperate attempt to hold onto something. "This here is Mr. Smarty Pants. He'll be here for you whenever you need it."

With that Big Mac left the room, finding the two silent mares looking on him with sad eyes. Big Mac led them downstairs and out the house. Rainbow Dash sat on the porch, wide awake and wearing a worried looked. When Big Mac stopped, Applejack tried to say, "Big Mac, Ah-"

"Applejack."

"Yeah?"

"Don't do that again," Big Mac said in a very distant voice. He wasn't mad anymore, just disappointed in his sister. He didn't need to give her a long lecture from the way her ears were positioned and her constant shifting from one hoof to the next.

Applejack nodded silently, not trusting her mouth at this time. When Big Mac was ready to talk, Mary Sue asked him a couple of questions. Mainly focused on how he and the rest of the Apples where doing with Luke's presence.

Big Mac answered them, assuring her Granny Smith and Applebloom were fine with Luke. Mary seemed convinced when Big Mac assured her this kind of situation would never happen again. The look of determination on his face would convince Iron Will there was no stopping the farmpony.

"Applejack," Big Mac turned to his sister. Applejack flinched, expecting Big Mac to strike her. "You owe somepony a big apology." Applejack nodded, turning her eyes towards the ground.

Finally satisfied, Mary made her leave with a quick farewell. Big Mac decided to take a walk through the orchard to clear his head. Granny Smith was wide awake and inside the house with the CMC. They would be able to hold down the fort in his absence.

Applejack dragged her hooves to sit next to Rainbow Dash. The cyan mare only caught part of the conversation inside, but she knew her friend wasn't happy. In a comforting move, Rainbow Dash patted Applejack's shoulder, "Things will turn out fine, AJ. You goofed up, but that doesn't mean you can't make it right later."

Applejack nodded. If she was paying attention, she would have noticed the irony of Rainbow Dash acting in the role of the sensible pony.

Inside Big Mac's room, a set of invisible claws slowly pulled the thin red sheets over Luke's chest, taking extra time to tuck them along the side.


End file.
